A Little Wicked
by runscotlandrun
Summary: Asteria Swan is Bella Swan's older, sarcastic cousin from her father's side. A twist of fate lands Asteria in Forks for her senior year, a full semester before Bella makes her own entrance. However, this time around vampires and shifters aren't the only shadows running through the woods.
1. Welcome to Hell

"Why are you doing this to me," Asteria grumbled in the passenger seat of _her_ Chevy Camaro. The thing was a classic; made in '71 and still going strong with custom parts modeled after the originals and fine tuned. It belonged to her dad at one point and she prided herself on taking care of it just as he did. That pride was currently stuffed into the backseat with the rest of her crap while her uncle Liam drove down the high way.

"I already told you," Liam said while shooting her a look. "Moving to Forks for your senior year will be good for you. My work means I'm in and out of the house too much and Charlie will be able to keep an eye on you better than I can."

Translation: Asteria had been screwing around too much junior year and he wanted Charlie, a _cop_ , to keep her on course to graduate. Never mind that she hadn't seen her other uncle, or anyone on that side of the family, in years. She was really regretting that D in algebra last semester. And the C in chemistry. And throwing that party while Liam was out of town.

"Whatever," was Asteria's brilliant reply before tossing in her headphones and ignoring him. Her relationship with Uncle Liam had always been somewhat strained. He rebelled against his parents as a teenager and became distant from the family, while her mother had remained closer to her parents. It was something they never discussed much. Asteria's parents died in a car accident when she was fourteen, and with no surviving grandparents she had been handed off to Liam.

Asteria reluctantly admitted that Liam did the best he could and she did appreciate him. He had a very hands-off approach to guardianship that suited her just fine until she took it too far. Damn, that party was a bad idea. So now he was passing her off to her Uncle Charlie, her father's younger brother, in the hopes he could somehow steer her back on course.

The drive to Forks, Washington from her little town of Greenfield, Wisconsin was a ridiculous thirty hours which they crammed into the space of three days. Still, they didn't bother discussing any other mode of transportation; Asteria would drop dead before she left her Camaro behind. The original radio was still working in the car, and Asteria refused to get a newer one with an AUX port or CD player. When she wanted to play music she had a Bluetooth speaker. However, she settled for most of the car trip with brooding silence and her headphones plugged in.

Asteria honestly wasn't sure who was happier to climb out of the car as they pulled into Charlie's drive. More than likely it was Liam, seeing as he wouldn't be stuck in this new hell. He got to catch a flight back home in the morning. Still, she knew it was more than likely teenage angst making her so resentful and she'd miss him eventually. Right now she wanted to kick him in the shin though.

Charlie came out to greet them and she had to admit right off the bat: that was one heck of a mustache. "Asteria, it's good to see you kid! And Liam, it's been a while," Charlie greeted as he shook Liam's hand.

"Charlie, I can't thank you enough for offering-," Liam started before Charlie cut him off with a wave of his hand.

"Nonsense, Asteria's my niece too. I'm more than happy," Charlie said before the silence hit. She took it he wasn't a man of many words, and it seemed like any talk of emotion was out of the question, which suited her just fine.

Liam popped the trunk and started grabbing bags with Asteria following suit. Charlie made a move to grab them as well before Asteria stopped him.

"The rest of them aren't important right now, thanks Uncle Charlie. I'd rather get the room set up first before dragging everything up there," she said, to which Charlie nodded. In reality there was a whole lot of contraband she wanted to sneak in later, without two pairs of eyes watching her unpack.

Charlie led them into the small house and up the stairs. "Up here are three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Mine is the master down on the right, and Bella's old room is that door across from it. You'll have the spare bedroom on the left, I know it's a little smaller but-,"

"No, it's perfect," Asteria cut him off, understanding that he didn't want to give away Bella's room. Although to her knowledge, the last time Bella set foot in this house she was like seven or something. Old habits die hard though.

The room was small, but at least it was nice. The walls were a soft blue with cream curtains and a view of the backyard. She could see a sturdy looking oak tree outside her window and the wooded area further back. That was all she really cared about. Besides, her lavender bed set would go well with the room.

Two hours later and the men were downstairs having a few beers and talking while Asteria set her room up and finished lugging her stuff upstairs. She survived a minor heart attack as two bottles clinked together inside a bag while she was going up the stairs. Thankfully the game was on in the background and they were too preoccupied to notice.

The walls were still fairly plain. Asteria had put up a few posters and photos, but otherwise kept them bare. Her clothes barely fit in the dresser, which was saying something as she didn't have that many to start with. The true blessing of her room was discovered as she moved the dresser over to a corner. It seemed that her room had an extra heating vent that didn't work and was hidden under the dresser. All it took was removing a few screws and suddenly Astrid had a perfect hiding place. For the time being she tossed all her contraband into the vent and tossed her bags on top. That would hopefully be enough to hide it for now. Maybe she would convince Charlie she needed an area rug?

Dinner was served, which turned out to be pizza since Charlie had the culinary prowess of a college frat boy. Unfortunately that was something Asteria was used to and had adapted to with Liam, so she had become an average cook. It looked like she'd have to cook here as well.

Things were fairly boring that night as Asteria looked up at the ceiling, wishing she could get some sleep. Of course, the universe as a rule hated her so eventually she heaved a sigh before peeking her head into the hallway. Charlie's door was shut, and she could hear Liam snoring down on the couch. She quickly threw on a hoodie and her boots before attempting to slide open the single window in her room. It made a slight squeaking noise that made her cringe before she slid it fully open.

Now, Asteria had a fairly good survival instinct, and she knew that because she promised herself she wouldn't attempt to sneak out the window until she could do it in the daylight and get a better look at the distance and how sturdy the branch was. Unfortunately, there was a deeper part of her in her core that said "screw it" more times than she could count, which is how she found herself dangling one foot out of the windowsill to judge if she could make it to the branch without killing herself.

Asteria had both legs swung over the windowsill before she paused and went back inside. She came back moments later with a backpack slung over her shoulder. In actuality, the jump onto the branch was fairly smooth and she was down in less than a minute. She sent up a silent prayer that she would be able to get back in as smoothly.

Asteria wove her way around the backyard carefully, sticking to the shadows in case someone looked out the window. Thankfully she had the good sense to wear a black hoodie and throw on some dark jeans. She waited until she started stumbling in the woods before pulling out her flashlight. A little too late she realized there were probably wild animals out here, but hey, there were in Wisconsin too and that never stopped her. She took a couple more steps before reaching into the backpack and pulling out a bottle of whiskey.

Asteria had managed to smuggle seven bottles with her, which she found fairly impressive. Still, she wondered if her fake ID would work around here or if she'd need to get a Washington one. She shrugged before taking a long swig straight from the bottle and kept walking. There was a natural path cut into the woods which she recognized as a deer trail. She followed it a little ways before finding an uprooted tree that had fallen over and she rested on it.

The clouds that usually hung over Forks cleared up just enough for a few stars to poke through the treetops as she idly played with the necklace around her neck. It was a rose quartz pendant shaped like a crescent moon, and hands down one of her favorites. It had once belonged to her mother.

Which brought Asteria to her own family secret. Much as she tried to deny it, she carried the same genes as her mother, and her mother before her, and so on and so forth through the family tree. The tree with roots in Salem, Massachusetts and Scotland before that. The tree that survived every storm. The tree with roots in magic.

Of course, Asteria didn't know much about it. Her mother had died when she was fourteen, before Asteria had really 'woken up', and her grandmother had passed three years before that. Asteria took another, longer drink of whiskey. Dead parents, witchy powers, and teenage angst was a hell of storm to get through.

For the most part, Asteria completely ignored the witchy side of her. The inkling at the back of her mind that something was about to happen, the suffocating tidal wave of auras coming off her peers, the cold wind that occasionally flared up around her; all of it was easily suppressed by a combination of alcohol and stubborn indignation that it was not her burden to deal with.

In retrospect, it was probably fairly easy to pinpoint how Asteria got carried away junior year. As much as she wouldn't admit it to herself, it was getting harder to ignore her own fate and drowning it in cheap booze wasn't going to make it go away. It did however, cause her grades to slump and get in trouble for one too many rowdy nights. She had a deep suspicion it was only going to get worse too. From what she knew about Charlie, he seemed a little harder to pull one over on.

She stayed there in the woods for a while, drinking and looking up at the stars. Eventually Asteria sighed and drug herself back up through the window and into the room, albeit a little less steady than she was. It took a lot of concentration to be quiet and not stumble but she managed somehow. Pulling aside the vent grate, she carefully tucked the whiskey back into its spot before picking up a worn, leather bound book and stroking the cover gently.

Asteria told herself the reason she kept the book was strictly as a memento. It was a family heirloom, seemingly passed down from mother to daughter throughout her family for generations. The old pages were completely handwritten, although after a handful of pages the handwriting would change. The very front page named it a book of shadows, something witches used to write down everything they could about magic.

Asteria never really read most of the entries, just some of her grandmother's, and the entirety of her mother's. When she first found it in her mother's things she assumed it was some sort of trick. After Asteria noticed her powers coming in at fifteen she sorted through boxes of her mother's belongings to find it. Turns out it wasn't a fun joke after all.

There was at least one thing that helped, which Asteria followed religiously: an entry in her mother's own writing called her necklace a 'shield' and claimed to help block the push and pull of people's energy that always left her feeling drained. She discovered her mother's necklace and followed the instructions in the book about leaving it in moonlight during a full moon while covered in a bowl of rock salt. She felt like an idiot for doing it, but it did seem to help.

Eventually Asteria drifted off to sleep while lying fully clothed on her bed, the book still cradled in her arms.


	2. Seattle's Best Coffee My Ass

Asteria was forever thankful for Charlie's quiet, gruff nature. After taking Liam to the airport they had spent the next three days developing a routine before the fall semester started. Charlie would go to work, or fishing with his friend Billy, and Asteria would lounge around the house. Occasionally she would do actual chores like vacuuming or picking up the living room, but for the most part her days consisted of reading, watching tv, or messing around on the internet. She went on a few walks and found her favorite spot on the trail in the daylight, but mostly she saved outdoor time for sneaking out at two a.m.

One thing she was adamant about was that they get groceries, if for no other reason than Asteria spent most of her time at the house and was fairly certain she'd starve to death if she didn't speak up. She told Charlie she would take care of the shopping herself, but he was dead set on going with her the first time at least. Asteria thought it was because he wanted to know exactly what she was capable of cooking.

They took the police cruiser, which was equal parts embarrassing and amusing: embarrassing because nothing made people pay more attention than seeing a cop car, and amusing because she always figured any time she'd be in a police cruiser…it would be in the back seat.

Forks was a fairly small town. Of course, her hometown also had a little over a thousand people so she was used to it. The grocery store was pretty slim aside from the essentials, not that she was ever crafty in the kitchen anyway. Asteria was just focused on getting in and out; it seemed like anytime she ventured into town with the chief, he had twenty different locals coming over to greet him and ask about her. She supposed she was big news for a small town, but it was obnoxious nevertheless.

The most interesting interaction had to come as Asteria was trying to pick out a ripe watermelon. A couple walked over, looking like they just stepped off a movie set. The man, a handsome blonde in his early thirties and his wife, an equally beautiful woman with caramel colored hair and honey colored eyes, strolled over with all the grace of professional dancers. Asteria inwardly rolled her eyes even as she admitted she was being judgmental and unfair.

"Chief Swan, I don't think I've ever seen you at the grocery store before," the woman teased with a smile.

"Mrs. Cullen, Dr. Cullen, nice to see you," Charlie greeted.

"Oh please, call us Carlisle and Esme," the blonde man responded cordially.

"Then you'll have to start calling me Charlie," he replied.

"And who did you bring with you today," the woman, Esme, asked.

"Oh, this is my niece, Asteria. She'll be finishing out her senior year here at Forks High. Asteria, this is Dr. and Mrs. Cullen," Charlie responded.

"Nice to meet you," Asteria responded as pleasantly as she could. There was that odd, tickling pressure at the back of her mind that meant her tuition was kicking in. She stomped down the feeling as best as she could.

"Asteria is such a pretty name, and it's very uncommon," the woman replied.

"My parents were pretty uncommon as well," Asteria said with a shrug and a smile. It was more of an inside joke for herself than anything else.

"You're a senior this year? You'll be the same grade as several of our children then," the man responded.

Asteria fought hard to keep her eyebrows from rising at that, and thankfully won. They twitched before she tamped the reaction down. Somehow, the Cullens seemed to notice it anyway.

Esme let out a graceful little laugh. "Our adopted children, of course. Alice, Edward, and Emmett are Carlisle's niece and nephews, while Jasper and Rosalie are my own niece and nephew."

Asteria nodded in understanding, beginning to feel more suspicious about the whole thing. Wasn't it just such a coincidence? If Asteria had more than an empty gum wrapper in her pocket, she'd bet they were well aware of their situation before they walked over. Then again, most people seemed to know before they asked around here.

"Rosalie and Emmett are seniors this year as well. The other three are starting out their junior year," Carlisle continued.

"Cool," Asteria nodded along. She was fairly positive soon there was going to be one of those disgusting emotionally charged invitations to 'talk things out' if she ever wanted to talk to someone who 'understood what she was going through' and she'd rather drink bleach.

"If you ever need anything," Esme started. _Ah, there it was._ "I'm sure any of our children would be willing to show you around the school or give you a hand. They've all been the new student before, I'm sure they would all be more than willing to help."

"Thank you, I'll keep that in mind," Asteria said with a purposefully unconvincing smile. She was definitely into that hands-off approach. Thankfully the conversation fizzled out and they were able to get the rest of the groceries without incident. Charlie seemed oblivious to her attitude about the whole conversation, which was better in the long run.

Other than that, it was life in Forks was rather dull. Asteria wasn't one for close friends. She had lost touch with most of her childhood friends after moving in with her uncle Liam, and didn't bother getting too close with anyone in Greenfield although she occasionally texted a few people from there. They were fun friendships while she was there, but Asteria wasn't very good at long distance things.

Relationships were another thing entirely, and she vehemently opposed the idea of finding any sort of love interest. She had always had trouble in the love department, much like any teenager, except for her last relationship that came straight from the pits of hell. She promised herself to never think about that particular boyfriend for too long and drowned any emotions or thoughts on the matter with alcohol as soon as they cropped up.

With school starting the next morning, the idea of finding a new group of degenerates to sneak out with seemed mildly daunting. After all, it was a small town which meant slim pickings. She had gotten considerably lucky in Wisconsin. She supposed being the creepy loner kid wouldn't be so bad; at least she'd dress well enough that people wouldn't mock her behind her back too much. The awkward conversation with Charlie was just cringe-inducing enough to keep her from getting too worried about anything else though.

"So, school starts tomorrow," he started out over dinner. Asteria nodded along, hoping it would fizzle out like most conversations. No such luck. "I just wanted to say I hope this year isn't going to be like your last. Your Uncle Liam was telling me you had a bit of a wild year. I expect you to try for good grades this year at least. And I know every single one of those kids and their parents, so there's not going to be any wild parties."

 _God, you start a fire in the neighbor's backyard once and no one lets you forget it_ , Asteria thought. "I know, Charlie, and I'm really looking forward to wrapping up high school on a good note. College is coming up soon."

She prayed in her head that Charlie would accept that, and thankfully he seemed to nod and let the matter drop. The rest of dinner was spent in companionable silence as they watched the evening news.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Asteria didn't care what high school it was, waking up before dawn sucked. Hard. It probably didn't help that she kept up with her nightly adventures into the woods, but she wasn't willing to assign blame anywhere. The shower did help her wake up, and as she got ready she could vaguely hear Charlie getting ready for the day downstairs.

She decided to dress up a bit and hopefully make a good impression. Or hell, at least some sort of impression. Anything that kept the other students from calling her 'new girl' the whole year. Her makeup was perhaps toeing the line of appropriate for school, but she wasn't showing up without her winged eyeliner and cherry red lips. That kind of confidence boost couldn't be passed up. She threw on her dark wash skinny jeans, a maroon long sleeve shirt, and her favorite tartan shawl. Paired up with some heeled ankle booties and she felt invincible.

Of course on a dare she snuck up the stairs with her coffee thermos and topped it off with a bit of whiskey, but hey, she felt invincible. No one had ever exactly called her a role model.

The drive to school in her old Camaro was actually fairly short, and she was very happy to note most of the cars in the lot looked older. None of them were as well-kept as the Camaro though. She dropped by the front office of possibly the weirdest high school campus she had ever seen. Seriously, who builds a high school with separate buildings, particularly in a climate that's always raining?

She was still grumbling to herself as she climbed back in the Camaro and drove it around to the student parking lot. It looked like most of the parking lot was full of rusting vehicles, except for a Volvo parked in the corner. Given the track record for teen drivers, she decided to park off to the side near the Volvo, far out of the path of destruction.

Her phone was still connected to the Bluetooth speaker, and was currently cranking out "Shutter Island" by Jessie Reyez perhaps a little too loudly. Hey, everyone had their own methods to wake up in the morning. It wasn't until she had opened her car door that she felt eyes on her. Looking over, she saw a small group of five people crowded around the Volvo, and at least three were looking at her.

She made an instant connection between the teenagers and the Cullen couple from the store. If by nothing else but their ungodly beauty. She noticed a tall blonde girl, the one closest to her, staring at her with a delicate eyebrow raised.

"The song's Shutter Island by Jessie Reyez," Asteria told her while sipping on her coffee.

"I didn't ask," the blonde said with an edge of harshness.

"Then I guess I didn't answer," Asteria said while arching an eyebrow of her own. She took another sip, regrettably realizing she shouldn't take it inside with her.

"Nice Camaro," the blonde said. Asteria squinted slightly, but it seemed the blonde was being begrudgingly genuine. She leaned down and pulled the handle to pop the hood. That definitely got the blonde's interest.

"It's a '71. Every part is either original or custom made to be an exact replica," Asteria said as the blonde walked gracefully over with a hulking brunette boy in her wake. The blonde had the hood propped up before Asteria even walked around to the front of the vehicle.

"Wow, everything seems in good condition," the blonde said, almost too quiet for Asteria to hear.

"I learned to do the basic upkeep and repairs myself. It belonged to my dad before me," Asteria said.

"You did a good job," the blonde replied. Asteria accepted the compliment gracefully; she had the feeling the other girl wasn't impressed easily.

"Why the separate speakers though," the brunette boy asked for the first time. "You could get a decent stereo built for it."

Asteria raised both eyebrows at the boy. "You don't go through the time and effort of custom replicating the original parts to bastardize it with some new stereo system. That's the original radio in there, in working condition."

The blonde girl smirked at that, which made the boy smile. A bell rang across the campus, which she was fairly certain meant something.

"Fuck," she whispered under her breath, carefully lowering the hood and scrambling to pull her backpack out of the passenger seat.

"If you need help finding your class-," one of them started. She was fairly certain it was the shorter brunette girl.

"Nah, thanks," Asteria responded. "If I don't find my classroom on time I don't have to go."

"I don't think that's how it works," the girl responded with furrowed eyebrows.

"I'm fairly certain that's exactly how it's going to work," Asteria laughed as she walked briskly across the lot. She glanced over her shoulder as she was walking away to realize none of the other kids were following. _Guess they don't care about being on time either._ The blonde girl was still talking with the brunette boy, but it was the other three that caught her attention.

She was already halfway across the lot, so maybe the distance was tricking her eyes, but Asteria could swear the blonde boy and the bronze haired boy were staring at her intently. It even looked like the bronze haired boy was glaring in her direction. Shrugging it off, she chalked it up to either a trick of the eyesight or a stick shoved somewhere it didn't belong and hurried off to class…as leisurely as possible.

Unfortunately for Asteria she arrived at homeroom with a minute to spare, which meant she would have a long morning of dull classes and, God forbid, learning. Seats were slim pickings at this point so she settled for the one next to the door. At least she had a fair shot at a quick exit. She threw her things down and sat idly picking at her nail polish.

"Hey," a deep voice said to her left. She recognized the brunette boy from the parking lot in the seat directly next to her, which might have seemed stalkerish if not for the lack of other seating options. "My name is Emmett Cullen, by the way."

"Asteria Swan," she responded, skipping straight to the point.

"Cool name," Emmett said, "not a lot of Asterias running around."

"There's not exactly an abundance of Emmetts either," she replied.

Emmett grinned at her, which somehow made him seem both boyish and feral at the same point. That same intuition reared its ugly head in the back of her mind and she had to beat it down like a piñata at a quinceañera.

"Nice car, by the way. Rose knows way more about them than me, but she was saying it was in near mint condition," he said. "Rosalie was the blonde you were talking to. We really should have introduced ourselves."

"You're good, no worries," Asteria responded with a wave of her hand. "I believe I met Dr. and Mrs. Cullen at the store the other day as well. They had mentioned something about adopting their nieces and nephews." She said it to test the waters, see how he felt about his own situation.

"Yeah, Carlisle and Esme are great, really. I didn't know you had met them already," he responded. It seemed heartfelt, except for the very last bit. Asteria's eyes squinted a little bit as her keen senses detected a lie. That was, after all, one of the few blessings of her own little curse; she could often separate the bullshit from the truth.

"Just in passing, they seem nice," Asteria replied, thankfully interrupted by the teacher walking in.

The hour passed by far too slowly, even for a history class. Actually, history was one of Asteria's favorite subjects, but that was a while ago when she still cared about school and things were normal. Instead she spent sixty minutes doodling things on her syllabus as the teacher droned on about what he expected from the class.

The bell couldn't ring fast enough as Asteria threw her things into her bag and slung it over her shoulder. _One useless class down, six more to go._ Asteria idly wondered how much trouble Charlie would give her for taking a nap out in the Camaro instead of going to her next couple of classes.

"What class do you have next," Emmett asked, keeping in line with her as she wove through the crowd of students.

"Chemistry," she responded without bothering to look at the papers the secretary had given to her earlier that morning. Nothing said 'new student' like having your head buried in a school map.

"Oh cool," Emmett responded. "Rose has that too. I bet you could pair up with her if you wanted to."

Asteria just raised an eyebrow at him. For one, she didn't like his overly helpful attitude, seeing as she wasn't a charity case. And two, _Rose_ didn't seem to match his overly helpful type. "I'll keep that in mind," she responded, and was surprised to find a lack of sarcasm in her tone.

The blonde in question joined them right then, and Asteria used that moment to surge ahead of them out of whatever awkward conversation would undoubtedly be forced to follow. She knew the two were adopted siblings, but something about their interactions with each other felt more...intimate, like she was hanging around a married couple. Not that it was deeply unsettling, but she did detest love in all of its finest forms.

Sending up a silent prayer, Asteria was pleased to find the classroom still half empty and quickly snagged a seat in the back of the class. The chemistry lab was set up as tables with two stools at each, and she managed to grab the only table in the back row still unoccupied. Rosalie, she noticed, entered a few moments after her and grabbed a seat at the empty table in front of her instead of opting for the seat next to her, which suited her fine.

A boy ran into the class seconds before the bell and tried to sit beside Rosalie, but seemed to think better of it when he saw her there. His next attempt was beside Asteria, but her own reproachful look sent him to the front of the classroom instead. Asteria laughed inwardly, glad it seemed she would be partnerless for the year.

The chemistry teacher followed soon after, prattling on about the usual start of the year nonsense. She seemed unusually bitter and strict, which meant this class was going to be lots of fun for Asteria. She resolved to cut down on her usual tardiness to school, if only to pacify the bitter harpy and save her from boring lectures.

Neither Cullen was in her English Lit class, which gave her the chance to people watch for the next hour and see which kid was the least obnoxious on the offhand she had to partner up with someone. Not that she expected to partner up with the Cullens, but given Emmett's over enthusiasm she assumed it likely.

Asteria's luck didn't hold out however, and as she entered her Spanish class she saw the tiny brunette Cullen girl practically bouncing around in her seat with excitably energy. She quickly went to sit in the front of the class, but caught the other girl's eye.

"Hey, come sit by me," the brunette said. Asteria blinked several times before realizing she didn't have a socially acceptable excuse to refuse and found her feet automatically carrying her to the seat next to the tiny brunette.

"I'm Alice by the way, and you must be Asteria. My siblings mentioned your name, of course it was also easy to put two and two together. After all it's a small town, people had been talking about the new girl and you're the only new face. Weird to see you in this class though, considering you're a senior. Shouldn't you be in the next level," Alice rambled.

"I took three years of German in my old school, but all they have here is Spanish, so here I am," Asteria replied.

"If you already have three years of foreign language you shouldn't need this class to graduate then," Alice said.

"It was either this or woodshop," Asteria said. "And I really don't want a birdhouse."

"Actually, I think they make napkin holders," Alice grinned.

"Oh, well that changes everything, sign me up," Asteria replied sarcastically. Alice flashed her another grin, and she couldn't help but remember Emmett's grin before. Equal parts innocent and feral that set the warning bells off in the back of her mind.

Class passed much the same as the others, with a dry reading of the syllabus and school rules. However, the teacher emphasized the amount of work that would be done in class with partners, to which Alice expectantly looked at her. _God, am I a special project for this family,_ Asteria thought to herself.

The bell rang once again, thankfully signaling for lunch. Alice easily kept pace with her as Asteria collected her things and moved towards the door.

"So where did you move here from," Alice asked happily.

"A small town in Wisconsin," Asteria replied. She wasn't big on the whole 'get-to-know-you' thing, especially when it felt forced.

"Oh, Wisconsin is lovely, we've visited there before," Alice responded. "If you'd like, you can sit with my siblings and I at lun-"

"Thanks," Asteria cut her off, "but I already have somewhere to sit." It was a flat out lie, but she didn't think the other girl was capable of calling her out on it.

"Oh," Alice said, brows furrowing before they smoothed out and she smiled. "That's fine, the offer's always open if you change your mind though."

"Thanks, see you later," Asteria said while veering off course from the cafeteria building. She moved towards her locker, not out of necessity but more as a way to get free of the conversation. She moved a few books around in her locker and eventually grabbed the textbooks she needed for her last two classes before shutting the door and going to lunch.

Asteria entered the cafeteria line and grabbed a quick salad, not particularly interested in whatever they were serving as the hot lunch of the day. She moved through the sea of tables at a steady pace before a blonde caught her eye and stopped her.

"Hey, I'm Madison," she introduced herself. The blonde girl looked like the typical, preppy popular person in any high school movie. "You're that new girl, Aster or something, right?"

"Asteria," she corrected in a flat voice.

"Whatever," Madison replied, "I saw you talking to Rosalie Hale before school, and I heard you were sitting with that Alice in class. Are you friends with the Cullens now?"

Asteria raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

Madison laughed and looked around her own table, like she was missing some obvious joke. "The Cullens are total weirdos. Everyone knows Rosalie is a stuck up bitch who couldn't care less about anyone else and Alice is the total opposite; she's this freaky little weirdo who's too friendly and talks too much."

Asteria chuckled and nodded to herself. "Oh, I see. Rosalie is a bitch because you feel like she owes you something, and Alice is weird because she tries to be nice. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're a bitter, judgmental asswipe looking for socially acceptable ways to tear other women apart because you don't like feeling threatened."

"Excuse me," the blonde said in a raised tone. Asteria was blankly aware of the eyes of everyone nearby on her, but she honestly didn't care.

"I said you're a bitter, judgmental asswipe," Asteria repeated louder for the other girl's benefit since she was so hard of hearing. "I can run through the whole thing again in depth if you need more help understanding."

"You just made a big mistake," Madison said in what she no doubt thought was a very threatening tone.

Asteria just raised her eyebrow again. "Really? Bigger than pairing those shoes with that shirt," she asked while looking the other girl up and down for emphasis. She registered muffled laughter in the background. "Catch up with you later, Maddie."

With that, Asteria stalked off to a corner of the cafeteria. Before she got there a chair was pushed out in front of her. "Take a seat," a red headed girl told her with a shit eating grin on her face.

"My name's Natalie," the red head told her as Asteria took a seat. "And I absolutely hate Madison Fairbanks with a burning passion, so you just became one of my favorite people. This is Damien," she said with a nod to the brunette boy to her left, "and that's Rachael," she said while nodding to the brunette girl directly to Asteria's right. "Matt has yet to grace us with his presence, probably getting high in his truck as we speak."

Asteria gave a chuckle. "He does that a lot?"

"More than the rest of us, anyway," Rachael replied. "Is that a problem?"

"Not at all," Asteria replied, "although I prefer drinking to smoking. Shit's murder on your lungs." The table laughed.

Just like that, Asteria found a group of enablers to hang out with for the year. They weren't true burnouts, in fact Matt was the only one that really smoked. The rest smoked only occasionally, and for the most part dressed like they had goals after they left high school. Asteria figured that unless they had a record, she could bring pretty much any of them by Charlie's house and they wouldn't set off any warning bells for him.

The rest of the day went by in a rush, thank God. Asteria's fifth period statistics was wholly underwhelming, but at least Damien, Natalie and Rachael were in it so she had familiar faces to see. None of them were in her last period, geography, but she did happen to run into Emmett and Rosalie once again. She ducked back into the last row of seats and managed to avoid the both of them entirely.

That luck lasted until she was almost to the Camaro, when she was just beginning to see a light at the end of the tunnel. Asteria had the key in the door, in fact, when Alice Cullen walked over, the tall blonde boy that Natalie had explained over lunch as Jasper in tow.

"Hey, I heard about what happened at lunch," Alice started. "Thanks for calling out Madison, but really-,"

Asteria cut her off before it got into the realm of actual emotion. "No offense, but I wasn't trying to defend your family if it came out that way. I don't like bitchy girls like Madison, and truth be told…I like picking fights." At that, Asteria winked at the other girl.

"Still," Alice continued. "You didn't need to say anything."

"No, but I did," Asteria said. "So now I get to spend the year taking the resident bitch down a level. God, it's like Christmas." With that, Asteria climbed in and started up the engine. She wondered why Jasper bothered to tag along for their little interaction since he had nothing to say, but figured it was moral support. His presence didn't really bother her much anyway.

"See you tomorrow, Asteria," Alice said to her as Asteria shut the door and synced her phone to her speakers. The only thing Asteria was concerned about was drowning out a crappy first day at a crappy new school.


	3. Irish Coffee, American Cannibalism

Asteria spent a very normal night at Charlie's house. She made chicken parmesan for dinner, sat in the living room and read while she watched the game, and snuck out just after eleven with her usual backpack slung over her shoulder. This time it was tequila though, just to shake things up a bit.

She sat on the usual uprooted tree and gazed up at the sky, but couldn't shake the feeling that something was different from her usual routine. This time, Asteria felt eyes on her that she couldn't ignore. That damned intuition pricked at the back of her mind and as many times as she took a swig from the bottle, she couldn't escape the feeling of being watched. If anything, it only pissed her off more as she felt that she couldn't even relax and unwind from her stupid day.

Feeling like she could murder without a second thought, Asteria made her way back up her window, all the while glancing over her shoulder. As if the universe was going out of its way to piss her off, she could swear she just barely made out a shadow melting into the rest of the blackness. For a second, Asteria swore it looked just like a person. In a show of complete maturity and irritation of the situation, she flipped off the shadows at the edge of the woods as she stumbled back in her window.

The early night gave Asteria a good night's sleep at least. Instead of her normal four, she got somewhere around six hours of sleep. After winging her eyeliner flawlessly, she fussed over what to wear. It seemed abnormally nice outside, even if it was still bleak and cloudy. She felt like she could actually wear a t shirt without issue for the day. Grinning, she pulled out a graphic tee with the caption "Ain't no party like a Donner Party" and threw it on with a pair of jeans. Regretfully she threw on a jacket, but promised herself if it was warm enough it would come right off.

The drive to school went by quickly with virtually no traffic and Asteria rolled the windows down, enjoying a bit of a breeze. She turned the speakers up almost as high as they could go, which was surprisingly high for the small devices. Halsey's "Hurricane" was about halfway through as she zipped into her parking space and Asteria didn't have the will to turn it off until the song was over.

She sat in the driver's seat drinking another Irish coffee concoction when the silver Volvo whipped into the parking spot next to her. Asteria inwardly rolled her eyes as she took another sip. If they thought she was going to turn her music down, they were dead wrong. There were other parking spaces open.

Rosalie gracefully unfolded herself from the front seat of the car. "Is that Halsey," she asked as she grabbed her bag.

"Hurricane," Asteria nodded, not feeling particularly articulate. She wasn't even half way through her coffee for God's sake.

"She's talented," Rosalie said with a shrug. Asteria just nodded again.

"Is that coffee," Alice asked while wrinkling her nose at the cup. Weirdly, Asteria got the feeling she was on to her secret splash of whiskey.

"Want some," Asteria replied sweetly with a raised eyebrow. She was positive the other girl would decline.

"No thanks," Alice said, although there was a suspicious look in her eyes. "I'm not a fan."

Asteria had thought she would just finish her drink in her car so it wouldn't technically be on school property, but staying trapped in her car and forced to make awkward small talk felt like one of the outer circles of hell. Sighing, she disconnected her music and got out of her car, drink in hand.

"You know, they don't really let you have drinks in the classroom," Emmett said while nodding at her thermos.

"I saw plenty of water bottles here yesterday," Asteria shot back.

"That was water," he said with a smile.

"I think you worry too much," Asteria replied. "I'll be fine." She stalked off and thankfully didn't hear any footsteps behind her. She did, however, hear hushed voices whispering almost imperceptibly.

Asteria was one of the first people in the classroom, besides the kid in the back sleeping at his desk. She wondered how long he'd been there for. She pulled out a notebook and scribbled little patterns across it, including several Celtic knots. Eventually the warmth of the classroom got to her and she tossed her jacket over the armrest of her desk before continuing on an intricate mandala design. If she concentrated hard enough she could almost forget it was seven in the morning.

Students continued to file in behind her, including Emmett. She didn't hear the footsteps or the creak of the desk, but all of a sudden she looked up and he was just there, sitting at his desk. Asteria didn't get how such a large person made so little noise.

Asteria looked him right in the eye before taking another sip of her coffee, just daring for a comment. At that moment the teacher, Mr. Peters, decided to make an appearance. He took one look at her shirt before bursting out laughing, which made several other students pay attention as well.

"Ten extra credit points for the shirt, but you can't wear it to class anymore," Mr. Peters said. "It's probably not school appropriate."

"Wait, what does it mean," one of the other students called from the back. This, of course, evolved into a situation where class was derailed for twenty minutes as the teacher eventually caved and pulled up several articles about the Donner party, which is how they held their first classroom conversation about cannibalism.

The class never really recovered and they ended up not getting to the lesson at all. Asteria left the room feeling victorious as she took the last sip of her coffee. "Told you so," she told Emmett with a grin. He didn't look particularly pleased, not that she expected him to.

Her next two classes passed by in a blur. Spanish was another story. They had to start pairing up with people, and Asteria reluctantly turned to Alice as they were instructed to "get to know each other".

"So how are you liking Forks," Alice asked her brightly.

Asteria shrugged. "It's just like any other small town, I guess."

"The town you used to live in was small too," she asked.

"It was fairly small, I guess. Everyone knew everyone there," Asteria responded.

"Do you miss it," Alice asked curiously.

"Not particularly," she responded. "Living with my uncle Liam was fine, but I wasn't broken up about leaving.

"Oh, so you lived with different uncle before coming to live with Chief Swan," Alice asked.

"Liam was my mom's brother, and Charlie was my dad's brother. I lived with Liam for a couple of years before coming here," Asteria responded, getting bored of the conversation. "What about you, where'd you come from?"

"Edward, Emmett and I are Carlisle's sister's children," Alice replied with an ease that seemed practiced. Asteria got the weird feeling that she was being lied to and wanted to chalk it up to paranoia, but realized the response was fairly vague. Asteria almost considered probing more into it, but Alice continued her barrage of questions.

"So what sort of things do you do for fun," Alice asked her.

"Hiking," Asteria responded with a smirk. It was one way to sum up her nightly adventures.

"You should be careful hiking around here," Alice said. "There are always big animals in the woods, you could run into a bear or something."

Asteria thought back to the shadow she was almost positive had followed her around the night before. "If I see one I'm kicking its ass," she muttered under her breath.

"I don't think that's your smartest move," Alice replied critically. Asteria wondered how she even heard that.

"I'm here for a good time not a long time," Asteria said, enjoying the face Alice made in response. Thankfully the bell cut them off before she had a chance to fully respond.

"All that self destructive behavior is going to catch up to you eventually," Alice warned. Alice seemed much more serious than Asteria thought her capable of.

"Nah," Asteria called over her shoulder at the other girl. "I'll just procrastinate that too."

Asteria met up with Rachael outside the cafeteria which luckily saved her from awkwardly asking to sit with them again. She wouldn't have asked anyway; her car wasn't that far away.

"Our favorite newbie," Natalie cheerfully greeted her as she sat down. "Have you stirred up any shit yet today?"

"Not yet," Asteria replied. "But I've still got a few things in the works."

"That's the spirit," Damien replied. Matt joined them soon after and the five happily joked around until Statistics, where all fun and hope was abandoned at the door. Nothing killed a good mood quite like math. The introduction lesson to the class wasn't overly hard, but it did form an obnoxious headache just above her left eyebrow.

She was in a particularly awful mood while heading to geography, which was compounded by a pop quiz. The teacher wanted to see how many countries they could name before the semester got started; either that or he wanted to torture everyone, and Asteria guessed it was the latter. She filled out about twenty before realizing it was only worth five points. After that she flipped the paper over and pulled a paperback out of her bag to read for the rest of the period.

When the bell rang, she turned her paper in at the front of the class and put a headphone in while walking out to her car. "How many did you get," Emmett asked her from behind.

Asteria turned around to see Emmett and Rosalie walking behind her. "Twenty," she replied easily.

"Yikes," Emmett said. "That was just the intro though, I'm sure it will get better."

Asteria fully turned around to look him dead in the eye. "You realize that was barely worth any points, right?"

"You're still starting out with a zero," Rosalie replied critically.

"Set the bar low, you'll always jump over it," Asteria grinned and walked away.

The first few weeks of school were an uneventful crawl of boring classes and interactions with her fellow students. August flew into September, which quickly became the beginning of October. She discovered that she absolutely hated Madison Fairbanks with a passion, who was the school's resident bitch, and never missed the opportunity to take her down a notch. Charlie had yet to receive a call from the school for bad behavior, so everything was honestly starting off a lot better than she had thought.

Asteria's one point of contention with her new life was her nightly outings. She needed to sneak out for her own well being, really, but she still felt like someone was watching her from the shadows every now and then. It was discomforting, but as long as she ignored it and continued on she felt like nothing would happen to her.

Curiously, Asteria felt herself drawn more than ever to that faded leather book buried beneath her other contraband. She chalked it up to being homesick seeing as it was a memory, however weird, of her mother. She even started flipping through the pages more and selecting random passages to read. She figured most of the things in there were nonsense, but it helped ease her tired mind long enough to fall asleep. Often times, as intoxicated and tired as she was, Asteria couldn't remember what exactly she read from it upon awaking.

Her new group of friends was a pleasant, unexpected surprise in the small town and Asteria welcomed the weekends. She had spent the last several Friday or Saturday nights in somebody's backseat as she took sips out of a coke bottle mixed with whiskey, leaning out of the open window to scream her favorite songs into the night. They were very careful to take back roads of course. Bumping into Charlie during an outing wouldn't be ideal.

In fact, things were going exactly as Asteria had planned until she had dinner with Charlie one Wednesday night. He brought up her grades, which Asteria was pleased to say were C's or above. A vast improvement from last year, not that she had really tried.

"Doesn't football season start this weekend," Charlie asked.

"I don't know," Asteria shrugged. "You're the one that watches ESPN."

"No, I mean the school games. Are you planning on going to the game with your friends Saturday," Charlie asked.

Asteria snorted with laughter. "I don't think that's really my scene."

Charlie raised his eyebrows at her. "What do you do with your friends?"

Asteria had about a split second to come up with a natural answer. She tried to keep her tone as casual as possible. "We mostly just hang out, you know. Spend the night at someone's house watching movies, or have a bonfire or something."

"Why don't you have your friends over Friday night then," Charlie asked. "I'd like to get to know them better. It's been a while since I've talked to them."

Asteria's eyes widened a fraction of an inch before she took a sip of her water to cover her surprise. "You know, I actually think Matt and Damien may want to go to the game after all. They like sports, and I'm sure the rest of us will be dragged along."

Charlie nodded. "I work that night, but I'll probably have to swing by the game once or twice to check things out."

 _Great,_ Asteria thought. _So it's either check in with Charlie at the game or get grounded._ Asteria brought it up at the lunch table the next day, cringing slightly about the whole thing.

"Cool," Matt replied before the others. "Looks like we're getting drunk under the bleachers this weekend." The thought of sneaking around the football game seemed to hold an appeal with the others, and Rachael actually seemed to like football.

Statistics passed by with a pop quiz, which Asteria shrugged off. It was a multiple choice, so she felt like she didn't completely bomb. She gave herself a pat on the back for putting effort into it though.

Geography seemed like it would pass in the same vein, except for the last several minutes. They were given free time to work on homework with other students, which meant Asteria was staring out the window and ignoring everyone else. She'd do it later. Probably.

"Hey," a voice caught her attention. She looked over at Emmett. "Are you going to the football game?"

Asteria raised an eyebrow at him. "Are you?"

"Yeah, it's kind of a small town thing. Everyone ends up going to it, it'd be weird to not go," he replied.

"Sounds super fun," Asteria said in a sarcastic monotone while doodling on her paper.

"It can be," Emmett replied, unaffected by her response. "Are you going?" Even Rosalie showed mild interest in the conversation.

"Probably," she sighed. "After all, everyone goes, right?"

Asteria definitely did not do her homework that night. Instead, she slipped out of the window early to get into position on her favorite log. Every since she'd felt spied on, she would sneak out at different times in an attempt to both ease her mind and confuse whatever boogeyman she stupidly thought was out to get her.

Rationally she knew she was being insane, but her stupid witchy intuition wouldn't shut down her own paranoia that she felt every now and then. Still, Asteria was more stubborn than she ever cared to admit and she'd be damned if she let some stupid feeling keep her from enjoying life. And by 'enjoying life' she meant sneaking out to drown that deep sadness in her with as much alcohol as she could. That's how she found herself on her log at ten at night, staring up at the stars and making a wish on every single shooting star she could find.


	4. Let's Drink About It

A/N: Hey guys, just a quick thank you to everyone that's read my story, and an extra special thank you to those that have followed, favorited, or left a review. I'm very excited to share my work with you all. The question was asked, and yes: Bella will be introduced to the story. Asteria was never meant to take over Bella's spot in the story, and as the story develops I hope you'll enjoy how I incorporate Asteria into it. I've been working on this story for a while, and I'm probably already into chapter eleven or so. Based on the way I'm writing, Bella may not make an appearance for quite a while, but I fully intend to write through the whole Twilight timeline. Consider this a prequel, I guess? Also, you'll notice that setting is a little off as far as the time. I decided to bring Twilight into a more current time, so as of this point it would be October of 2017. I've already changed enough of the story that I figured I would just bring it up to current date. Let me know if you guys have any more questions or comments!

Asteria rolled up to her usual parking spot with a few minutes to spare; what cop was ever going to give her a ticket in this town? That damned silver Volvo drove up just as "Gun in my Hand" by Dorothy began to repeat itself over the speaker system. She let it go while she drained her coffee and threw her bag over her shoulder.

The chorus had just started up again as Asteria unplugged her phone and climbed out. "What song was that" Rosalie said from where she lounged against the side of the Volvo watching her.

" 'Gun in my Hand' by Dorothy," Asteria shrugged. "You should check them out sometime. Anyway, the song has good lyrics."

"I feel bad for your ex boyfriend," Emmett snorted.

Asteria's mouth abruptly formed a grim line as she slammed her car door harder than necessary. "I don't," she said in a flat tone before walking away, mood effectively ruined. She hadn't gotten more than twenty feet before Emmett was in front of her, cutting her off.

"Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you-," Emmett started off.

"I'm not offended," Asteria said in a suspiciously calm, empty tone.

Emmett paused before continuing. "Okay, but I feel like you are."

"I don't get offended and I don't get angry. End of discussion," she said flatly.

Emmett started to say something again before she cut him off. "Your family is one of the one's where everyone always talks about their feelings and doesn't keep secrets, isn't it," she asked with slightly more color in her voice. She didn't bother waiting for a response because she knew she was right. "We're fine as long as we," at this point she made an elaborate hand motion between the two of them, "don't ever do that. Ever."

"Okay," Emmett said after a long pause. The tension was still there, but honestly Asteria could care less as long as she got to walk away and drop the matter. Emotional conversations had never necessarily been her forte, but she was definitely not willing to ever bring up past relationships. Not after the last one.

History was equally tense, to say the least. Asteria tried her best to shrug the whole thing off, but it only took one look at Emmett to realize he was itching to talk about the whole thing again. She bolted out of the room as soon as possible to avoid any more conversation. Hopefully everything would blow over by Monday.

Unfortunately for Asteria, Rosalie seemed uncharacteristically chatty during chemistry. Asteria was already seated when Rosalie entered the room, looking like a queen on a conquest.

"I know you don't want to talk about it, but Emmett really does feel sorry" Rosalie said when she took her seat, gracefully turning in her chair to confront Asteria. Asteria took a deep breath, reminding herself that Rosalie and Emmett were actually a couple besides foster siblings, which meant that Rosalie probably had no choice but to bring it up again. "Surely you know by now how much he loves to joke around."

"Yeah, I get it," Asteria responded without lifting her eyes from the notes she took yesterday. "I'm not mad, I just don't like talking about it. I'm not a fan of revisiting every awful moment in my life."

Asteria glanced up and saw a flicker of emotion cross the other girl's face. She couldn't put a word to it, but Asteria knew instinctively that something had gone wrong in Rosalie's past too. The thought cut her deeply for a split second before she stomped that emotion back too.

"I can understand that," Rosalie responded, and Asteria was overwhelmed with the feeling that she really did get it. Thankfully the blonde turned back around in her seat as the teacher entered the room, and that was the end of that.

The lecture that day was boring, broken up only by a twenty minute video on noble gases. As the clip showed how gases dispersed into the air, Asteria got a weird sense of déjà vu and had to focus hard to figure out exactly where it came from.

A blurry memory came to her of pulling out her family's book of shadows one night and flipping through the pages. One of Asteria's grandmother's passages came to mind. It was something about auras, being able to sense the energy people gave off. Her grandmother described it best as a sort of hazy cloud surrounding someone that could be seen out of the corner of the eye, like a trick of the light. It was supposed to be the person's own energy that was colored by emotions or a natural disposition.

Mentally shrugging, Asteria supposed there was nothing better to do with her time. She tried to squint and move her head at different angles wondering how on earth it was supposed to work. After several frustrating minutes, she let her eyes go out of focus and the images around her get blurry. Trying not to blink, she turned to look at the boy sitting to her left at another table. A swirling cloud of vibrant yellow and deep green surrounded him and seemed to move like the push and pull of waves.

Gasping, Asteria blinked and jolted upward, effectively knocking her notebook and pen to the floor. The teacher glared at her momentarily as she reached down with shaky hands to pick up her notebook. Rosalie handed her the pen with a skeptical look on her face. Asteria simply shook her head and refused to make eye contact for the rest of the period.

As the bell rang, Asteria rapidly threw her belongings into her bag. Her hands still shook slightly. "Are you okay," Rosalie asked. "You look a little pale."

"I'm fine," she shrugged it off while heading out of the door. _Either my family isn't entirely batshit crazy, or I've gone off the deep end too._ Asteria headed straight for the bathroom and splashed cold water on her face while carefully avoiding ruining her makeup. Feeling slightly better, she took a couple of deep breaths and made her way out the door.

Asteria couldn't tell you anything that happened during her English class. She passed a note with Rachael, but otherwise let her mind wander and come to terms with what had happened. Yes, she was aware of the random instances that had occurred before, but this definitely felt like something more. Anything peculiar that had ever happened before was unintentional, something that if she closed her eyes hard enough she could write off as nonsense.

No, this was a deliberate step towards real witchcraft. Asteria felt something deep in her core that this was the beginning step to something and she was unsure exactly what that meant. While the whole thing had been a shock at first, Asteria had to admit that nothing ridiculously awful had occurred. Maybe this didn't have to be the plague Asteria had always felt it was.

They thankfully had an easy day in Spanish, finishing up watching The Incredibles in Spanish. It was supposedly an award for high test grades, but she felt like it was an excuse for the teacher to play games on her computer.

Instead of watching the movie, Asteria used the time to further mull over the whole situation before finding a hidden reserve of bravery. Taking a deep breath, she once again relaxed her eyes before looking at the student in front of her, seeing a deep blue glow surround the girl. Curious, she turned her head to look at other students around the room.

An absolute sea of colors surrounded her, all glowing almost obnoxiously bright. Asteria felt her hands begin to shake and began to feel lightheaded and dizzy. She tried to blink the sight away, but began to panic when her normal eyesight wouldn't return. She felt a cold hand encase her wrist and looked up to see Alice.

Weirdly, Alice didn't seem to have a full aura like the others did. Sure, Asteria could see tinges of bright pink, yellow, and cool blue, but it was faint, like it had been muted compared to the others.

"Hey, are you okay," Alice whispered urgently to her with a look of concern.

Asteria blinked rapidly again and was grateful when her vision returned to focus. She nodded her head at the other girl, too tired to speak.

"Are you sure, you look really pale," Alice responded.

"I think I'm having a migraine," Asteria said.

With that, Alice was out of her chair and whisked up to the teacher's desk before Asteria could stop her. She saw Alice whisper to the teacher before she came back and scooped up Asteria's things. "Come on, I talked to Senora Schaeffer, I'm supposed to walk you to the nurse's office."

Asteria briefly thought about arguing before realizing that she could at least lie down for a few minutes. She hesitantly stood up before feeling her head spin rapidly. It was like she did a full three-sixty spin. Alice grabbed her wrist again and helped her steady herself before leading her out of the room. Her hand really did feel cold, and Asteria idly wondered through her head rush if Alice had poor circulation.

"Are you sure you're okay? Can you walk," Alice asked sympathetically.

Asteria only nodded again, which added to her earlier vertigo. She could have sworn Alice rolled her eyes as she looped one arm around Asteria's back and led her to the nurse's office. Alice made sure she was checked in and laying down before heading back to class.

"Hon," a voice interrupted her as she lay down on the cot with her eyes shut. "The bell is about to ring, do you think you're feeling well enough to go to lunch?"

Asteria opened her eyes and looked up at the nurse. "Yeah, I think I'm feeling better now."

"Okay honey, if you feel worse after lunch come back. Make sure you try to eat something though," the older woman smiled sympathetically.

Asteria stood up on sturdier feet and grabbed her things before walking straight to lunch. She promptly sat down at their table without grabbing anything to eat; her stomach still felt slightly queasy.

"Hey," Rachael greeted her as she sat down. "I waited for you outside building C, where were you?"

"Oh, I had a headache so they sent me to the nurse's office," Asteria replied.

"Feeling better," Rachael asked as the rest of the group joined them.

"I'm fine, I just don't feel like eating anything," she responded.

"Well you look like crap," Natalie said cheerfully. "Are you sure not eating is gonna help? You still look like you might pass out."

"Thanks mom," Asteria replied sarcastically. "But I'll be fine." She glanced around and almost thought she caught a disapproving look from Alice Cullen, which was impossible considering the distance they were from each other.

Statistics came and went, shortly followed by geography. Asteria kept her head down and focused on taking good notes for once. By the end of class her head was almost back to normal, and she felt like despite being tired, she felt no adverse affects. Of course, the whole thing had still terrified her and she was determined to ignore it ever happened.

Asteria should have known better as she grabbed her stuff and headed out of the door. "Hey," Rosalie called after her. "Are you feeling better? You seemed unwell in chemistry, and Alice mentioned at lunch that she walked you to the nurse's office."

"I'm fine," Asteria snapped. She felt like a short fuse after everything that day. "Just leave me alone."

She walked out to the parking lot as fast as she dared. Speed wasn't her friend at the moment, but Asteria wanted more than anything to get the hell out of there. She saw Alice at the Volvo already with Edward and Jasper and frowned deeper as she reached for her keys. Her scowl seemed to have the desired effect as she caught Edward whispering to Alice, and it seemed no one else was going to attempt talking to her.

Asteria backed out of her parking space viciously, nearly taking out a junior before booking it as fast as she dared. She got home in record time and threw her stuff down in the living room before trudging up the stairs.

The whole day left her feeling unhinged inside, like she opened Pandora's Box inside her soul and she feared she would never get it back to the way it was. Mostly she felt bone weary, and collapsed on the bed still in her shoes.

Asteria woke up to the sound of Natalie knocking on her bedroom door and saying "hey loser" which told her that A. she forgot to lock the door and B. she forgot to set an alarm. Jolting upright, Asteria smoothed down her hair and caught sight of Natalie laughing at her.

"Nice room, by the way," Natalie commented while looking around. It was the first time she had been over, and she had apparently let herself in. Charlie was working the late shift that night.

"Thanks," Asteria replied shortly while going to the mirror and checking her makeup. Her winged eyeliner was smudged, so she shrugged and deepened it into a smoky eye before adding more eyeliner to perfect the original wing. She pulled her hair back into a half-up hairstyle which would manage her wavy bed head with style.

"Whoa, chill dude. Are you still feeling like crap," Natalie asked.

Asteria shrugged while changing her shoes out for her nicer heeled boots. Combined with her black skinny jeans and grey jacket, she was hoping to combat the chilly wind that had blown in with the arrival of October. "I feel like I desperately need a drink," Asteria responded while moving the carpet aside to reach her secret booze stash.

Natalie whistled low. "That's a hell of a hiding place. You hide all of your booze in there?"

Asteria kicked the carpet over it before the girl could get a better look. "I know what's in there too. Start tryin' to steal it and I'm gonna kick your ass."

Natalie grinned at her. "Well come on, pack your shit and let's go. We have a team to cheer on."

Asteria threw a bottle in her bag and the two flew out the door and into Natalie's old Volkswagen Beetle. The thing might have broken down every other week and been covered in rust, but it fit Natalie's personality to a T. They hustled it down to the football field while blaring music and cussing out other drivers from inside their warm car. The windows were up thankfully, so no one else heard them.

Asteria looked around for Charlie, eager to get the interaction out of the way so she wouldn't have to worry about proving she was there. It didn't take long to see the cruiser parked on the road next to the entry to the football field, and see Charlie next to it directing people in and out. Small town cops really didn't have much else to do, she supposed.

Walking up, she belatedly realized that Charlie was in conversation with Dr. and Mrs. Cullen, and Asteria tried to backpedal miserably before she got stuck. Unfortunately, Dr. Cullen turned his head and caught sight of her just as she tried to turn around.

"Ah, there's Asteria," he called loudly enough that Asteria couldn't ignore it. She walked over to the group, desperately hoping no one could hear the liquid swish around in the bottle in her bag.

"Hi Dr. Cullen, Mrs. Cullen," she greeted politely. "Hey Charlie." She belatedly realized that Natalie had left her to fend for herself and promised silently to give the red head a piece of her mind later.

"Asteria, glad you made it. Couldn't miss out on a home game your senior year," Charlie said.

"And how has your senior year been so far," Mrs. Cullen asked.

"Very good," Asteria nodded. "Classes have been pretty usual."

"That's good to hear," Mrs. Cullen smiled warmly. "Are you adjusting to Forks well?"

"She's got a nice group of friends," Charlie thankfully intercepted for her; that man was a blessing sometimes. "The Greene's kid, Natalie, and I think the Ellis's daughter Rachael, right?"

"Yeah, they're both great," Asteria nodded along. She made a list of things in her head that she would rather be doing: juggling chainsaws, tedious paperwork, selling her kidneys on eBay…

"I believe you have a few classes with our children as well," Dr. Cullen stated.

"Uh huh, I've got classes with Emmett, Rosalie, and Alice. They're great," Asteria said. She adjusted her bag on her shoulder and froze when she heard the liquid slosh around, but it seemed like Charlie missed it.

"You know, your kids are extremely well behaved," Charlie continued on. "You've really done a great job." Asteria caught Mrs. Cullen's eye and thought she saw a disapproving look. If the woman had heard the bottle and knew what it was, it didn't appear she was going to call her out on it.

"Thank you," Dr. Cullen replied warmly. "Although in truth we can't take any credit; they are all wonderful, and Esme and I are eternally grateful to have a family with them."

If Asteria didn't get out of there soon she was going to choke on the amount of happy feelings Dr. Cullen was spouting.

"Well," Asteria awkwardly broke in, "I think I see my friends over there. I better go track them down before I lose them in the crowd."

"Alright, enjoy the game," Charlie said.

"Be safe," Mrs. Cullen said. Asteria was now one hundred percent sure Mrs. Cullen knew what she was up to and just walked faster. She prayed no one would say anything to Charlie. They were getting along so well, and she didn't want anything to ruin it.

Asteria was so lost in thought that she didn't see Alice waving at her from next to Jasper until they walked up. "Hey," Alice greeted. "I hope you're feeling better."

"Yeah, I'm fine," Asteria said dismissively, eager to find her group and disappear from the crowd of people surrounding her. "Thanks."

"We were just going to find Carlisle and Esme and sit on the bleachers with the rest of us. You're welcome to join," Alice invited kindly.

"No thanks," Asteria said. "I've already got a spot, sorry. Enjoy the game."

Asteria walked away without realizing she was heading straight towards Madison until it was too late. The other girl was surrounded by her clique. They all had sodas and popcorn in hand, ready for the game.

"Huh, look who decided to show school spirit for once," Madison sneered.

"Do yourself a favor and leave me alone tonight," Asteria responded. "I'm not the one you want to mess with."

"Oh, why's that," Madison laughed. "I saw Chief Swan talking to the Cullens. Is he trying to pawn you off on them too? It would be better, don't you think, for all the orphans to stick together? Or maybe the Cullens were _trying_ to get you, so they could pair you up with Edward. They have that weird cult thing going on."

Asteria tried to push past the other girl, knowing she was in no mood to take the other girl on. Not after that day. Asteria turned around to go back the direction she came. One of Madison's posse tried to block her but she easily shoved the girl aside.

"Maybe that's normal for orphans though," Madison called after her, clearly enjoying herself. "They have dead parents and don't know how families work anymore. Did your parents die before you got the chance to know what a family's like or-,"

Before Asteria knew what was happening she felt a deep rage bubble up inside of her. Her hands balled up into fists and she heard a scream behind her as Madison's soda seemingly exploded all over her. The foam cup it was in had been destroyed as it went off like a bomb, leaving sticky soda covering every girl in their group. Similarly, the popcorn in Madison's bag exploded outward while the bag was shredded to pieces leaving each of them looking like the movie theater floor after a double feature.

Asteria's clenched fists shook uncontrollably while her head spun. Still, she kept her head up and spine straight as she walked past Alice and Jasper without looking back. A single tear spilled over before she reined it in.

Thankfully Damien was nearby and intercepted before anyone else, having overheard the confrontation between them.

"Hey," he said. "Wanna go get drunk?"

"Dear god yes," Asteria responded. She was vaguely aware of Alice and Jasper watching them, but the only thing she cared about was getting far away.

Underneath the bleachers, Damien whispered what happened to the others while Asteria stood off to the side drinking straight from her bottle and pretending she was unaware of what they were talking about in hushed tones. It was easier that way.

"Hey, sorry I left you," Natalie said. For once the red head looked solemn, something that didn't fit her well. "If you want I can go beat the ever loving shit out of Madison. I just might anyway."

"It's not worth it," Asteria said blankly before taking another drink. "She'll get what's coming to her."

"I mean, she sort of already did," Damien said. "You should have seen that soda explode on her. I don't know what happened, but it knocked her popcorn all over the place too. It was insane. That's what you get for being a frigid bitch though."

"Can we not talk about this," Asteria asked flatly. She felt emotionally and physically worn, and the only thing she wanted was to drink until she couldn't remember. She didn't even care if Charlie caught her at this point.

Her friends noticed her mood, but decided against further comment, something Asteria greatly appreciated. They let her drink in peace and an hour in she was even laughing along with the rest of them. Asteria couldn't stand up straight, something that she found absolutely hilarious. The whole thing was just a barrel of laughs.

"Hey look," she said to the rest of the group, all in varying degrees of intoxication. "I think that's Emmett and Rosalie Cullen." The pair were walking towards them, and Asteria continued to giggle as they walked up. Neither of them looked particularly happy though.

Rosalie took one look around at the lot of them. "You are definitely drunk," she said critically.

"Yes," Asteria slurred, making it a point to draw out the s. "But, nobody cares." She paused to laugh. "Either drink up or get lost."

"Pass, but let's get you out of here," Emmett replied.

"Whoa, whoa, she doesn't need to go anywhere," Matt replied. He was, oddly, the most sober of the group for once. "Look man, we're fine here."

"She's clearly well past drunk, and you're just letting her get worse," Emmett argued, which seemed strange coming from him. Emmett didn't seem like an angry sort to Asteria, which made her laugh more. He pointed in her direction to emphasize his point.

"Everyone's fine here, and she can do what she wants," Damien said while stepping up. "We'll take care of her if she needs it."

"We're taking her home now," Rosalie said in a tone that no one would dare argue with. Damien backed down with hands in the air.

Asteria reluctantly got to her feet and was tugged along behind the couple. "Wait, my bag," she slurred out.

"Emmett has it," Rosalie replied, which is right around when Asteria realized Rosalie had a vice grip on her hip and was tugging her along. They led her out from the bleachers and in the opposite direction of the crowd to a waiting Volvo pulled up at the curb around the far side of the entrance.

Rosalie all but shoved her into the back of it and buckled her in before the car drove off. Asteria looked up to see Alice in the driver's seat while Jasper rode shotgun. "Alice," Asteria asked. "I thought this was Edward's car."

"He lets me drive it. I asked if I could take you home," Alice responded. There was a weird expression on her face that Asteria couldn't quite make out.

"Why," Asteria slurred out. "I'm fine."

"No, you're not," Alice sighed. The car was silent for a moment before she continued. "Why do you drink so much?"

Asteria looked out of the car window as the images seemed to blur by too fast. Maybe she was drunker than she thought. She made sure to keep her voice and face as emotionless as she could when she responded. "Because, I'm just an orphan that doesn't know how to be normal."

Whatever response Alice or Jasper had, Asteria never heard it. Her eyes closed as she leaned her head against the glass, falling into a fitful sleep.


	5. Biblical Reckoning, Party of One

A/N: Thank you so much for all of the follows and feedback! I'm so happy you're all interested in the story, and like Asteria so much. I really hope that continues. I've received a few questions and also have a few things I wanted to address. First off, I probably should have stated the usual disclaimer a while ago but I don't own anything except for my original characters and whatever additions I've made to the story line. Secondly, and more importantly, I wanted to talk about Asteria's behavior. In no way, shape, or form do I condone her self-destructive behavior. I want it to be clear that she has a problem, and it's not acceptable. However, I considered it to be an important story line to tell and wanted to give her realistic issues to face.

On a much brighter note, I've gotten several reviews asking about Asteria's love life. I don't want to give too much away because while I do have something planned, romance is going to take the backseat for a while with her. I have someone in mind for her, but we'll see how things go. That being said, yes, Bella is still going to be introduced to Edward Cullen and we'll see what happens from there. Without spoiling too much, it's safe to say Asteria and Edward have conflicting personalities, so it will be interesting to see how she reacts to some of Edward's brusque behavior.

Now, please enjoy this bucket of angst.

The first thing Asteria was aware of was the pounding in her head. She felt it even before becoming fully conscious, and was reluctant to open her eyes because of it. The second thing she was aware of was how nice the sheets felt. Her body felt too warm, but the silky soft sheets around her felt nice and cool on her skin. Then she noticed how much brighter her room was than usual. Obnoxiously so. It was like she forgot to pull the curtains shut.

Groaning, Asteria sat up to close the curtains only to realize with shock that she had no clue where she was. The curtains were indeed open and the window looked out over a deeply wooded area. The room she found herself in looked modern and clean, with a soft yellow paint covering the walls and a white vanity against the far wall. The sheets covering her appeared to actually be satin in a beautiful shade of cream. In fact, she appeared to have on soft purple pajamas that definitely were not hers.

Asteria moved to climb out of the bed and then grabbed her head as it spun. She noticed an end table next to her with a glass of water and a few pills. She grabbed the water and drank greedily, hoping to dispel the dry mouth she felt. There was a knock on the door that she didn't bother to answer.

Alice swung the door open anyway. "How are you feeling," she asked.

"Fantastic," Asteria responded.

Alice arched a delicate eyebrow before responding. "There's aspirin there too, you should probably take it. I bet your head is killing you right now."

Asteria sighed before downing the pills with another drink of water. She suddenly gasped. "Oh my god, Charlie's going to kill me."

"It's alright," Alice said while sitting on the edge of the bed. "We had Esme call Charlie. She said that your migraine was back and she and Carlisle didn't want you to go home alone while you were feeling unwell, so she asked if you could spend the night here until you feel better."

Asteria spent a long moment quiet. "So, they definitely know."

Alice nodded. "Carlisle was afraid that you might need your stomach pumped. You certainly drank a lot."

At that, Asteria couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh. "I didn't even have that much."

Alice raised both eyebrows at her. "You're kidding, right? Please tell me you don't usually drink that much."

"I don't usually drink that much," Asteria automatically responded evenly.

Alice let out an exasperated sigh. "Of all the stupid things, why do you continue to drink like that?"

Asteria got defensive. "I don't owe you any sort of explanation. I didn't ask for your help, you know. I would've gotten home just fine, and I would've survived just fine. If you're just going to be judgmental then please _don't_."

"I-," Alice started before Dr. Cullen appeared in the doorway and cleared his throat.

"I hope I'm not interrupting," he stated. "I was just wondering how you're feeling."

"I'm fine, thank you," Asteria said quietly. She was definitely embarrassed, and also terrified he was going to tell Charlie.

He eyed the glass of water next to her. "You should drink more water and get plenty of fluids, I'll be willing to bet your system is dehydrated."

Asteria felt strangely at ease with Dr. Cullen in the room. He didn't seem at all judgmental of her, and she wondered if she could get out of this whole mess without Charlie ever knowing. Alice quietly excused herself and slipped out of the room.

Asteria took a deep breath before deciding to get it over with. "Dr. Cullen, I'm very sorry about all of this. Thank you for letting me stay here."

"It's no trouble," he said easily. "I'm just glad you're doing better."

"Yeah about that," she trailed off. "Alice had said you told Charlie I just had a migraine, is there any way that's all he has to know?" At this point she refused to look him in the eye.

The room was quiet, but she refused to look up at Dr. Cullen. Asteria played with her hands intently and didn't dare say anything.

"Teenage drinking is a serious issue," Dr. Cullen finally said, causing her to cringe. "And binge drinking causes a lot of problems. If you drink like this a lot, it can cause serious issues. Don't you think Charlie deserves to know?"

Asteria bit her lip while she regained her composure. "If he finds out," she finally said. "I don't know what happens to me. He has such a busy schedule, he won't be able to keep an eye on me, and he'll try to send me back to Uncle Liam. Uncle Liam has sole custody, but he doesn't want me anymore, and he doesn't have the time for me either. I don't want…" _I don't want to end up in the system_ , she thought, biting it off before she could say it.

Dr. Cullen heaved a deep sigh, and she risked looking up at him while holding back tears. He seemed thoughtful, and definitely had pity scrolled across his features.

"Do you drink like this a lot," he finally asked her.

"No," she immediately responded, but her intuition told her he already knew the answer. "..Yes, sometimes."

"Have you ever talked to someone before, a therapist, about everything you've gone through?"

The question threw her for a loop, and it took a second to adjust. "When my parents died," she said, "the school had me talk to a grief counselor for a bit, but that was it."

"Do you think it would help," he asked her.

Asteria thought long and hard about it. She thought about her own grief for her parents, her turmoil with her witchy ancestry, and everything else that ever brought her to this moment. She wasn't sure what answer he wanted, but she knew the one she could give.

"No," she replied honestly.

He simply nodded, lost in thought. "You understand drinking is a temporary fix for your problems?"

Asteria nodded sadly; sure he was going to call Charlie any minute. She had no clue what was going to happen, and for once her stupid intuition was dead quiet.

"What if we could find a compromise," Dr. Cullen finally said. Asteria blinked back tears that she refused to let fall, glad to jump at the chance. Anything that kept Charlie from finding out, she was more than willing.

"Definitely," she said without hesitation.

"If you cut back on drinking," Dr. Cullen started, "and come over twice a week as a 'wellness check', I can agree to not tell Chief Swan."

Asteria nodded. She didn't know exactly what he meant by "cut back", but decided it was better off vague. If she didn't ask, there was some wiggle room.

"Good. You can come over for homework help, to talk about things, or just to visit for a while. I'm not meaning to police you. It's more to make sure that you're healthy and safe," he said. "Speaking of, when was the last time that you ate?"

Asteria made a face, thinking back. "…I think I had dinner Thursday." Seeing as it was now Saturday morning, she looked up to see Dr. Cullen give her a disapproving look.

"Esme made breakfast a while ago. We can make you a plate," he said without leaving room for argument. Her stomach felt like it was in knots, but she didn't dare disagree. Still, Asteria was terrified of throwing up. She hadn't asked, once again scared of knowing the answer, but she was dying to know if she had gotten sick overnight and made a bigger fool of herself.

By the time the two had come down the stairs and entered the kitchen, Mrs. Cullen had already set a plate for her at the kitchen table. Asteria awkwardly thanked her and sat down to pick at it. It was always weird to eat in front of other people.

"Is it alright, dear," Mrs. Cullen asked. "I wasn't sure what you liked, so I got you a bit of everything."

"It's great, thank you Mrs. Cullen," Asteria responded.

"Please, just call me Esme," the older woman responded warmly.

"You have a lovely home," Asteria said, hoping to divert the conversation.

"Thank you," Esme smiled. "I love to decorate."

Just then Emmett came bounding into the room and leaned against the wall. "Glad to see you aren't dead," he said.

Asteria coughed awkwardly while Esme gave him a reproachful look.

"What," Emmett asked, defending himself.

"I'm fine," Asteria said for what felt like the millionth time. She cut in before Esme could say something. She didn't want to be a point of argument for the family. Really, all she wanted to do was go back to sleep and forget all of this.

"Well after you're done eating, someone can take you home. As long as you're feeling better," Esme said while shooing Emmett out of the kitchen. She seemed to be wiping down the counters. Although, Asteria couldn't see any grime to wipe up. She supposed the woman was just keeping her company.

Asteria nodded gratefully and took two more bites before pushing the plate away. She had only eaten maybe a third of it, but to be fair it had been loaded with all sorts of food and she was never one for eating breakfast in the first place.

"Is that all you're going to eat, dear," Esme asked.

"I'm sorry, I'm not really much of a breakfast person," Asteria said apologetically. She did feel bad for not clearing her plate. After all, it looked like Esme went to a lot of effort to make a nice breakfast.

"That's alright. I'll clean this up, why don't you head back up to Alice's room and get ready," Esme responded kindly.

"Right, thank you," Asteria said while standing from the kitchen stool. "And…thank you for everything else too."

"It's no problem, sweetheart," Esme said with a soft smile. Asteria could see a hint of sadness in her eyes and decided it was time to cut her losses and leave the room before she started a deeper conversation.

Stepping out into what appeared to be a massive dining room, Asteria abruptly realized she had no clue where to go. Figuring stairs would be a good start, she walked through to the hallway and went straight up the stairs, deciding to wing it.

"This way," Alice called while poking her head through a door. It stopped Asteria's internal debate on whether she should continue up to the third floor and with a small relief she headed in the right direction. _Who had a house big enough to get lost in, in the first place?_

"This house is huge," Asteria said before stopping herself. Realizing how rude that sounded, she quickly added on, "but beautiful. It looks like a lot of effort went into it."

"Definitely," Alice responded brightly. She was currently combing through a closet in the back of the room and pulling out various articles of clothing. Asteria decided to sit on the bed until she was done. "It took the original builders three years to complete everything, and Esme's been working on renovating it ever since we moved in. It's sort of her pet project. I don't think she'll stop until we have to move into another house."

"She seems a lot more talented than me," Asteria said. "I take it this room is yours, then? I hope I didn't kick you out of it last night."

Alice stopped her actions long enough to wave a hand and let out a small laugh. "Nonsense, it was fine. You needed the bed a lot more than me."

"What are you doing, by the way," Asteria asked. She was suddenly suspicious of the other girl's actions, particularly after playing with the sleeve of pajamas that in no way belonged to her.

"Finding you something to wear," Alice replied easily in the most innocent voice she could.

"Yeah, that's what I was afraid of," Asteria responded. "I can just wear the clothes I was wearing yesterday."

Alice turned around and wrinkled her nose. "No offense, but they smell a little bit like alcohol. I'm assuming that's not how you wanted to return to Chief Swan. Besides, you seem to have a passing fashion sense and I'm sure I can find something you'll approve of." With that, the tiny brunette turned back to her task.

"So, um, the pajamas," Asteria started.

"They're mine," Alice said without turning around this time. "Well, technically they were extra. I liked them at the time and was going to hem them, they're a little long for me, but they seemed to fit you well. Rose and I sort of helped you to bed. I don't know if you remember…"

Asteria tried very hard to reign in her embarrassment and power through the conversation. "No, but I did want to apologize for everything. I'm sure it wasn't a particularly pretty sight."

Alice finally turned around with a sigh, clothes draped over her arm. "It wasn't, although it was probably better than what you're imagining."

"I would've gotten home fine," Asteria said softly while refusing to make eye contact.

"I know you think they're your friends, and you trust them, but if those kids were really your friends they wouldn't have let you drink like that. I'm not sure they would have gotten you home without Chief Swan finding out either," Alice said while sitting next to her on the bed.

"Maybe not, but they have good intentions. Besides, it was my own fault I ended up like that. I made a stupid decision, and it's on me. Not them," Asteria said. She didn't want any of the Cullens blaming Natalie and the rest, thinking it was their entire fault.

Clearly Alice wanted to say more on the matter but she let the issue drop. "Well, we should get you ready to go. Here are some clothes, and you can take a quick shower."

After the shower Asteria felt immensely better. Enough to take on Chief Swan's questions, anyway. She did have to admit that Alice knew her tastes; black skinny jeans paired with a cream sweater and gray undershirt suited her nicely. The top of the sweater draped and swung low enough for the undershirt to stick out. The whole ensemble felt absolutely cozy too, which was an added plus. Still, she didn't recognize the labels and had a bad feeling it was pricey.

"Thank you for loaning me clothes, by the way," she told Alice as the brunette drove her home. It was just the two of them in the Volvo, and this time Asteria got to ride shotgun. "I can wash them and give them back on Monday."

"Nonsense," Alice laughed. "I have so many clothes, just keep them please. They look great on you."

"You don't like the word 'no', do you," Asteria asked lightheartedly.

"Only when I get to use it," Alice grinned. With that, they had already pulled into Charlie's driveway. Asteria reached down to grab her bag, but was surprised to see Alice stop the car.

"What kind of caring friend would I be if I didn't walk you inside," Alice asked her with a raised eyebrow. Asteria bit her lip and exited the car, hoping this was going to end well for her.

Charlie must have been waiting, since they were only halfway up the sidewalk when he swung the door open. "There you are! Feeling any better?"

"I'm a lot better, thanks Charlie," Asteria said. "It must have been just some freak migraine."

"Esme told me over the phone that Alice had to take you to the nurse's office yesterday too," Charlie said while holding the door open. Both Asteria and Alice slipped inside, which caused Asteria to shoot her a questioning look.

"Yeah, um, I thought it had gone away but it started up at the game again," Asteria replied.

"We were talking when she started to feel the migraine come back, and I suggested for her to come over so she wouldn't be alone. Sorry if she needed to ask permission first," Alice said with such a sweet look on her face it gave Charlie no room to complain.

"Oh no, I was really glad when Esme called me. I'd have hated for her to be here by herself if she needed something," Charlie replied easily.

"Alright, well I guess I'll just head up to my room," Asteria said, eager to end whatever was going on.

"Great, I've been dying to see it," Alice grinned at her. _So that was the plan._

"I'll leave you girls to it," Charlie said, turning back to the game on tv.

The two of them headed upstairs before Asteria opened her door and flipped on the light. She threw her bag on the bed which caused half the contents to spill out. She picked up her neatly folded, freshly washed clothes from yesterday and turned to Alice with a raised eyebrow. "Smelled like alcohol, huh?"

Alice shrugged innocently. "How was I to know Esme washed them? And now you have a fabulous new addition to your wardrobe. Well, make it two additions."

Asteria turned and caught sight of the pajamas also neatly folded in the bottom of her bag. "Any specific reason you wanted to see my room, Alice?"

"One in particular," Alice started off cautiously. It made Asteria nervous for whatever came next. "One of Carlisle's conditions was for you to cut back on your drinking. I thought it might be less conspicuous if I were to remove the alcohol."

 _Oh._ Asteria supposed that part was probably inevitable. If not Alice, Carlisle or Esme might have insisted on doing it. Thinking of her stash, she realized there was no way she could let Alice see it. Not with everything else that was hiding in there. Thinking quickly, Asteria tried to find a reasonable excuse.

"Could we maybe do this when Charlie isn't home," Asteria asked pleadingly. "He'll hear us, or see you taking stuff out and wonder what we're doing."

"If I wait, are you going to try to hide it in other places," Alice asked evenly.

"No," Asteria said while looking Alice in the eye. Alice seemed to narrow her eyes a fraction of an inch in suspicion before giving up.

"Alright, but if we find out you were lying then your deal with Carlisle is broken," Alice said. Asteria nodded, just happy that she wouldn't be dealing with a whole new interrogation.

"Charlie has the evening shift again, he'll be out of here at three," Asteria told her.

"Okay, I can come back later. And Asteria," Alice said.

"Yeah," she asked.

"I know this seems like an awful thing to happen, but we're all just trying to help," Alice said. Asteria just nodded and the other girl sighed and left.


	6. Restless Legs, Reckless Spirit

A/N: Hello again everyone! As always, thank you so much for reading and for your support. I've gotten one question over and over, and it's all about pairings. Yes, I will keep the original pairings that Stephenie Meyer has created. As for what happens when Bella finally arrives into the picture, you'll all just have to wait and see!

xxxxxxxx

Asteria had about four hours to figure out what to do. The full contents of her stash, as they stood at that point in time, were four bottles of whiskey, a bottle of tequila, two bottles of rum, her book of shadows, a deck of tarot cards, and a medium sized wooden chest full of odds and ends that different spells called for. Clearly, the Cullens could not see her stash as it was.

Should she attempt to hide the rest of the stash somewhere else and just leave the booze? Should she pull the bottles out and just hand them over, or would they want to see her hiding spot to be sure? After much debate, Asteria decided to create a new fake place to hide her stuff.

She emptied the bottom drawer of her dresser and laid the bottles flat along the bottom of it. They just barely fit without clinking together, and she quickly stuffed the clothing back in on top of it. Asteria wasn't too concerned about making it look neat; they wouldn't be there much longer. Looking at the clock, she could see it was just a few minutes after three. They were probably already on their way over.

Glancing around, Asteria swore as she saw an extra bottle of whiskey still sitting out. There was no extra room in the drawer. Acting on impulse, she pulled back up the carpet and tossed it back in the hole. Then she dragged the dresser back over the spot and hoped no one would try to move it.

Feeling nervous with her heart pounding like a fugitive, Asteria idly wondered what she should do while waiting, or if anything was even capable of keeping her attention. Thankfully she was saved by the doorbell chiming.

Moving down the staircase like she was marching to her own personal firing squad, Asteria wasn't surprised her hand was shaking slightly when she grabbed the doorknob. Then again, her hands normally shook when she was hung over.

"Can we come in," Alice asked in her own friendly way. Jasper stood slightly behind her. Wordlessly, Asteria swung the door open fully and let the two enter. She shut the door behind them and went to follow them up the stairs, since Alice seemed to be already leading the way.

"It's the bottom drawer of the dresser," Asteria told them while waving to it. "Underneath all the clothes."

Alice quickly set to work neatly piling the clothes off to the side while Jasper leaned against the wall watching. Asteria went and sat on the bed while propping her chin in her hands. She didn't need to watch so instead she just stared at the few posters and pictures up on the wall.

"Is this it," Jasper asked and Asteria was jolted back to reality. She hadn't realized how long she had spaced out, but Alice already had six bottles sitting out on the floor and all the clothing put away.

"Yeah," she replied. "That's it."

Jasper narrowed his eyes slightly, and Asteria couldn't tell if he was just distrusting or if he might have heard something in her tone. "No offense, but would you mind if we checked around?"

Asteria had to pause at that. If she refused, she'd definitely look guilty; but if she complied, they might find a hell of a lot more than they bargained for. "No offense," she repeated, "but I have things that I don't necessarily want you to see."

"We understand that," Alice intercepted, "but surely you can understand where we're coming from." Asteria sighed and stood up from the bed and moved to stand in the doorway, the better to give them access.

Jasper, it seemed, took this as some admission of guilt and immediately went to check under the bed. Asteria couldn't help the intake of breath as he pulled out the worn box from its hiding place. She refused to make eye contact with anyone as he pulled off the lid.

"That," she said with a shaky breath, "would be pictures of my parents. I couldn't stand to leave them behind, but funny enough, can't really stand to look at them most of the time either."

"I'm sorry," Jasper apologized while quickly putting the lid back on and sliding the box back underneath her bed. Alice came over and squeezed her hand comfortingly.

"It's fine. Are we done," Asteria asked tonelessly, still trying to regain control of her voice.

"Yeah, we're done," Alice said. "If the chief is out on patrol for the night, would you like some company? We could work on homework, or watch a movie?"

"No, thanks. I'm just gonna have a quiet night in, work on homework by myself, go to bed early," Asteria replied. The last thing she wanted was to talk about things, and she intuitively knew that's what Alice really wanted to accomplish.

"Alright," Alice responded, somewhat less enthusiastically than usual. "Well, if you change your mind, you can always text or call me." She loaded the bottles into a large bag Asteria hadn't noticed at first, and Jasper pulled it out of Alice's grip to carry down the stairs, most likely on its way to get dumped down a drain. What a waste.

They left soon after, and Asteria breathed a sigh of relief and leaned against the front door after locking it. Her mind was still moving a thousand miles a minute, but she couldn't seem to focus on anything in particular to do with her time. She settled for wandering the house, picking up things at random before abandoning them within five minutes.

The one thing she finally managed to do was respond to her texts. She had at least a dozen in the group text, as well as individual texts from Natalie and Rachael. They all wanted to know what had happened after the Cullens forcibly removed her from the game.

 _Hello? Have you been taken hostage? Forced to marry Edward?_ Natalie sent in the group chat.

 _Sorry, I've been sleeping it off. I've got a wicked headache_ , Asteria responded back.

 _So what happened, are you busted?_ Rachael asked.

 _Nah, they were cool about it and dropped me off. Charlie never found out_.

 _Cool. Are you down for hanging out tonight then? My parents won't be home,_ Natalie asked.

Asteria knew exactly what that meant: getting drunk and watching movies in the basement before sneaking back out at three in the morning. It's not that she was afraid of the Cullens finding out, it was that she still felt a little hung over and she was tired after everything that had happened. At least, that's what she told herself.

 _Dude, if I drink any more tonight my head might explode. I'm gonna have to pass, sorry,_ Asteria responded after several minutes of choosing her words carefully.

 _Haha, alright well when you don't feel like the Queen of the Damned, let me know,_ was all Natalie said in response.

 _Go sleep it off,_ Rachael replied before the group chat fell silent.

Asteria noticed the shadows getting longer through the house and realized it was nearly dinner time. She searched through the pantry for a bit, but soon gave into her lack of appetite. If she was hungry later she'd fix something quick. Giving up on the idea of dinner, she slipped on a hoodie and her boots.

Triple checking the house key in her pocket, Asteria wandered down the worn trail in the woods in the daylight for the first time in months. Who knew, the trees actually looked somewhat less ominous when properly lit. She went to her usual spot and sat for a minute before standing back up, her restless energy getting the better of her.

With her eyes closed, Asteria focused on the feeling of her feet touching the ground through her shoes. She imagined the tendrils of energy weaving their way through the soil, rooting her to the ground like the tall trees around her. With every exhale she pushed all her negativity through those roots into the ground, and every inhale drew positive energy back into her body. After a minute, she opened her eyes and collapsed back onto her seat on the tree, finally feeling at peace from the day.

She looked through the distant trees at the sun dipping down into the horizon and idly wondered what would be next for her. Without alcohol, Asteria felt a rough road ahead of her. Not that it was exactly a peaceful cruise before. She supposed she'd have to actually come to terms with things, and the idea of sawing off her own arm held more appeal.

Her mind instantly jumped back to the day before in class, when magic had gotten the better of her. Even worse, she now felt like she couldn't just lock it back up inside her. Asteria watched the final rays of sun vanish, leaving the world in a weird sort of twilight haze and felt true fear of the future for the first time in a long time.

Rising up from her seat, Asteria quickly wove through the branches along the trail back to the house. Ignoring the kitchen once more, she trudged up the stairs and pulled aside the dresser. Her stash lay exactly as she had left it, which meant she was suddenly face to face with a full bottle of whiskey.

Taking a deep breath, Asteria fought internally on what to do next. Every instinct in her told her to say screw it and open the bottle. Who was going to know? Sighing, she bypassed it and pulled out the worn book of shadows. It was finally time for her to read through more than a few pages; maybe the answers she was looking for were in there.

Asteria decided to start from the beginning, with the faded, slanted cursive that would surely make her headache worse within the first few paragraphs. The very first entries were from her however-many-greats-great grandmother, Eveline. The first date was April 19th, 1827. _Holy hell, this thing is ancient,_ she thought with a raised eyebrow.

It looked like Eveline treated this as equal parts spell book and diary. Asteria skimmed through the first few pages, idly noting personal details Eveline had shared. It seemed that although she knew they descended from a long line of witches, she had been mostly alone in her journey as well.

 _It is my great hope,_ Eveline's slanted cursive read across the page, _that one day I may pass this on to my daughter, so she may know all that I know and ease her path into this life. As much as I may tell, we are the descendents of a powerful, ancient line of witches that draw their beginning in the heart of Scotland. Anything more than that is lost to me, but I hold this much to be true. My path into my gift has not been easy, and I find myself struggling for control so often. The visions I get come so suddenly and violently, as if I am seeing them play out before me. I have only managed to conceal them by the grace of God and claiming to be prone to headaches. Indeed, there are many times after my visions where my head feels in a haze for hours afterward._

 _I hope to find a solution for these ill effects, but in the mean time my visions have proven to be something of a blessing, when they are not a burden. My loving husband, Jonathan, fears for my health as I refuse to tell him the truth. Much as I love and trust him, I am afraid the only one I can divulge the truth in is God himself, and my own children should they grow into a gift as well._

Asteria stared blankly at the page while trying to absorb everything in it. _Eveline had visions? Of what?_ She did feel some relief in finding someone struggle similarly with their own 'gift', and felt justified that she also considered it a burden.

Eveline's references to God also made Asteria wonder. She had never put much time or effort into the idea of religion, but she had always assumed God existed in one way or another. Asteria could even toss out a handful of examples where she had prayed. Still, it was incredibly satisfying to read another person's account of dealing with the same issues. She idly wondered how old Eveline was at the time.

Eveline continued on, sharing different moments from her day to day life, a few more instances involving her husband, and different things she had discovered about magic. Apparently, she had visions of the future, but they were often flighty and hard to pin down. She didn't seem to have much control over those. She was however, focusing on growing herbs that she had always heard referred to in old wives' tales. Her understanding of magic was hopelessly limited, but she had great hopes of doing better.

Asteria felt her eyelids slipping closed, and looked at the clock to discover it was only ten. Most of the time she felt wide awake, but considering the day she had she couldn't stop herself from gently placing the book back in its hiding place and preparing for bed. Slipping on the silk pajamas Alice had gifted her, she drifted off into sleep quicker than she had in months.

It was a little after four in the morning when Asteria bolted upright in her bed with her hand clutching at her chest. Taking several deep breaths, she tried to pull herself back from her dream. Flashes of fire danced behind her eyelids while she blinked rapidly, trying to rid herself of every last part of the dream.

Finally realizing this was it for her, Asteria threw back her covers and decided to take a shower. The hot water rained down on her and she took twice as long as normal before deciding that she could face the day. Disgustingly, it was only five in the morning. On a Sunday.

Trying to avoid waking Charlie, she tiptoed back to her room. It wouldn't kill her to sit in bed and read for a bit. Asteria's favorites to distract herself were the classics and the few books she owned in other languages. Something about processing the older dialect or translating made it much easier to stay focused. She was on chapter two of A Study in Scarlet before she heard Charlie moving around. He must have had plans to go fishing with Billy. It wasn't long before she heard the cruiser pulling out of the drive.

Giving up entirely on Sherlock Holmes, Asteria wandered downstairs in search of food. Thinking back, she realized the only thing she ate yesterday was the breakfast Esme cooked. Without drinking and the accompanying nausea, it seemed her appetite had made a sudden reappearance. Go figure.

Just because it was back didn't mean she had to go crazy though. Asteria settled for a few slices of toast with some jelly and practically collapsed on the couch. She couldn't see the sun through the haze of clouds, but guessed it was starting to rise as it got a fraction lighter outside, which only served to make her angrier. Asteria never wanted to live in a world where she got up before the sun.

Feeling frustrated, she flipped through the channels mindlessly while looking for something good to watch. Asteria gave up and left it on a cooking channel, watching disinterestedly as a group of bakers worked to assemble a massive wedding cake. The shows started blending together one after another; Alton Brown came on next, then some documentary about chocolate factories, and finally a cupcake competition. Asteria must have slowly dozed off sometime during an old rerun of Iron Chef.

 _Asteria wandered around her old backyard while teenagers moved to the music beating heavily from a stereo. Red plastic cups were in every hand and littered the ground. Stars twinkled in the clear night sky, and it was impossible to feel anything other than the reckless joy of the moment. Voices came from every direction, but she couldn't make out any words. A laugh escaped her before she could comprehend it._

 _The warm summer night pulled everyone at the party outside to enjoy the breeze. The neighbors were gone, and now people were hopping the fence to get to their pool. A hand tugged on her's, and she moved clumsily to keep up. Asteria had much more to drink than she had realized which is probably why her mind couldn't focus on anything._

 _She thought they were heading towards the pool, but once over the fence Asteria's feet were moving her behind the shed in the back. That same hand was still gripping hers, still leading the way. Suddenly the music, the voices, all of the noise of the party was lost. Asteria felt like she was underwater. The loud crash of waves was all she could hear._

 _Fire lit up the night, bright and explosively orange. It enveloped the shed so quickly and now the voices were back and they were screaming. Asteria stumbled out from behind the shed and she felt so tired. Her legs shook with each step before a different set of hands, much more slender, grabbed her and pulled her up._

Asteria jumped up from the couch with a loud, trembling gasp. Tears streamed down her face and she shook from head to toe. It was worse, so much worse than the dream she had this morning. Shaky hands pushed her up from the couch as she moved to a sitting position. Looking around the house she figured it had to be near afternoon. She took a brief second to pull her hair into a pony tail and wipe the final tears from her eyes.

Figuring there was nothing better to do, Asteria threw on some clothes and grabbed her headphones. She headed out to the worn trail again but this time kept moving from her usual spot. Asteria wandered deeper into the woods while paying no mind to the branches that stood in her way. Her music cycled through at random through her headphones, and when Adam Jones' "You Can Run" started up, she hit the repeat button and let it soak into her soul as her knees gave out and she knelt down on the forest floor.


	7. Wing Your Eyeliner, Wing Your Life

A/N: Hello again, lovely readers! I thought with this chapter I would ask a question. Normally in my writing process, I figure out what mood I want to set for the chapter and then pick out a particular song to play on repeat in the background while I write. I think it keeps me more focused and keeps the same tone. With this story, I've actually started writing the song into the chapters so if readers would like they can get that same feeling from it. Do you think this helps add to the story, or does it make it annoying? Regardless, I'm making a bomb playlist for myself as I go.

Happy early Valentine's Day to everyone! Definitely don't expect another update until a day or two after it though; I'm a florist and this is my hell. Someone pray for me. I need coffee, four shots of tequila and sleep.

Enjoy the story!

Asteria ended up having to shower again after her journey of teenage angst through the woods. No one ever said emotional turmoil was a clean affair. She decided to celebrate her sobriety with lasagna, one of her favorite meals. Rolling her eyes internally at her own melodramatic behavior, she resolved to hold herself together for at least the next 24 hours, which would honestly be some kind of record lately.

She decided part of the problem was all the sad music she was listening to. Wallowing, while being one of Asteria's much enjoyed pastimes, was only enabling her drama queen tendencies. Deciding to purposely put a good foot forward, Asteria sat in her room while drawing and blasting Dorothy's "Raise Hell".

A knock sounded on her door shortly after. "Hey, kiddo," Charlie said as she pulled the door open. "I don't want to sound like an old man, but if you could turn that down a bit I'd appreciate it."

"Oh, I'm sorry Charlie, I didn't realize how loud it was," Asteria said.

"No, you're usually fine. I don't really hear much of a peep out of you throughout the night. Must be the song," he said.

Asteria smiled while biting her lip. If he only knew the reason he couldn't hear her was because she was out in the woods getting blasted on a school night most of the time. "Yeah, it must be. I'll be sure to keep it down though."

"You're probably heading to bed soon anyway though. It's already almost ten, and you've got school tomorrow," he said. "Alright, well I'm done sounding like my dad. Good night."

"Good night," Asteria called after him. She quickly decided to put in her headphones for the night. Adjusting to this was going to be tricky.

Determination stayed with her through the morning, mainly because she decided to pull an all-nighter. Asteria had gotten way over her usual quota of sleep on Sunday. At least, that was the excuse she gave herself. No need to rehash those weird, haunting dreams she kept having.

The dream didn't even make sense to her. She had always assumed it was about the party during the summer since there was a fire involved, but it wasn't the same memory. Asteria was inside the house when the shed caught fire. Shrugging, she thought maybe it was some weird witchy thing going on. Either way, when two o'clock rolled around, it was time to decide on going to bed she just kept scribbling in her notebook and reading.

She was actually in the process of teaching herself Gaelic, and was getting fairly advanced. It was something she attempted every now and then, and Asteria had made a lot of progress lately. It was a nice way to pay respect to her roots short of just wearing a conical hat to school.

On the plus side, no sleep meant she had plenty of time to make herself look great, which was exactly the confidence boost she needed. It was Asteria's first day of seeing everyone after the Friday night incident, and she was going to do everything she could to show up confident and ready to go. That of course meant an ensemble of black boots, dark skinny jeans, and a charcoal grey sweater with cutouts on her shoulders. She even took the time to curl her hair to perfection and pull it back with a cute crescent moon clip.

Forgoing an actual breakfast, Asteria poured herself coffee in a to-go cup. Nerves or not, she really wasn't one for eating so early in the morning usually. She knew she was running later than usual when the silver Volvo was already in its usual spot. Here was the tricky decision: did she take her usual open spot next to them, or opt for a different one?

Deciding that finding a different spot would show too much weakness, Asteria sucked it up and pulled into her usual spot. She still had "Raise Hell" cranked up in her car and childishly sat in the car until the song was over in an attempt to waste time. Finally grabbing her bag, she sighed and moved out of the car.

The first thing Alice did was raise an eyebrow at Asteria's coffee. "No breakfast today?"

"I ate at home," Asteria said coolly while taking a sip. Technically she wasn't lying; she ate at home on a number of different occasions. None of them being the breakfast Alice was referring to.

Alice's eyes didn't break from the cup in her hand. "It's just coffee," Asteria said flatly. "Want to check it?" Alice shook her head, as if almost in a daze. Belatedly Asteria realized that the other girl was spacing out and not really looking at her.

"Sorry," Alice said with a graceful smile. "I haven't woken up yet this morning. I didn't mean-,"

"Its fine," Asteria cut her off. Now she was both embarrassed at her argumentative behavior and the direction she was sure this conversation was heading. "I haven't either. I should get going, I don't want to be late."

"Getting there early so you can study before the test," Emmett asked her. He was leaning against the back of the Volvo with an arm looped around Rosalie.

"Test," Asteria asked while raising her eyebrows.

"Yeah, there's a test on the War of 1812. You didn't study this weekend," Emmett asked.

"Slipped my mind," Asteria said with a shrug, ready to turn and walk to class.

"You did your Spanish homework though, right," Alice asked concerned.

Asteria stood quietly while looking off in the distance, giving a moment of silence for her grades, may they rest in peace. "Well, see you guys in class."

Lucky for her, most of the test was multiple choice. Asteria felt she knew enough about the subject from past years to have done well enough and the essay question was so easy it was almost a joke. Finishing the test with class time to spare, she fished through her bag and took out her Spanish workbook. They had been assigned two pages of verb conjugations and sentence construction with vocabulary terms. Three of the sections looked easy enough and she breezed through them. The other two looked like they would take more than minimum effort.

Deciding she had done enough to pass, Asteria sighed and tossed the workbook back in her bag before grabbing her notebook from the night before. Several pages were now full, and she flipped to her newest work. At first it was just creating sentences at random, but then she decided it wouldn't be so bad to keep a journal. What better way to keep a secret journal than to write it in another language?

Asteria had taken to transcribing different sections of her family's book of shadows, although a lot of it was a more liberal translation with the limited phrasing she knew. The most recent passages had to deal with colors and their individual meanings. It was something she was mildly acquainted with after her disastrous attempt at seeing auras but never went into depth with.

Eveline had created a master list of anything to do with each color, and apparently others had added to it. At least three other sets of handwriting added to hers while filling in odds and ends. From what Asteria could understand, colors added emotion to the spells and were another way of directing a certain intent with each spell.

"Hey," a hand tapped on her shoulder, making her jump. Emmett look amused. "Sorry. Class is over."

Asteria blinked herself back to reality while noting the empty desks around her. She was way too focused on her task. "Oh. Thanks."

Emmett opened his mouth to say something before seeming to think better of it. Probably a smart move on his part.

Asteria leaned over to grab her bag without realizing Emmett was now staring intently at her notebook.

"What language is that," he asked curiously.

"Um, it's Gaelic. My family is Scottish so I picked a few things up," she replied dismissively. She really wasn't interested in talking too much on the subject.

"Oh, that's cool," Emmett responded before splitting into a grin. "Did you finish the rest of your homework then?"

"Yeah, sure did," Asteria said with a nod. Well, she finished all that she meant to finish at least.

Asteria's mind was preoccupied all through Chemistry, and then again at English. She figured if she could just stay focused on something her mind wouldn't wander. It kept doing that too much lately.

Spanish, as always, was a rough ride. Senora Schaeffer read through the class announcements for the day briefly. "Alright class, it's time to go over the homework. Please switch workbooks with your partner."

"Oh, fuck's sake," Asteria swore under her breath. She held her workbook out for Alice without meeting her eye as the other girl delicately placed hers on the desk. Asteria spent the entire grading process absorbed in Alice's beautiful handwriting and not daring to look up at the other girl. At the end they passed the workbooks up their rows for the teacher to collect and mark the grades in her book.

That unfortunately meant there was free time without the teacher supervising, so while she collected the grades students were instructed to work on a handout together. Asteria slowly shifted in her seat to look at Alice, for some reason feeling like she was about to be grounded.

"You know," Alice started off with a bit of a glare. "It's funny, the work you actually do is correct, but the rest of it you don't even try."

"Sorry, mom," Asteria responded sarcastically. This time she could actually meet Alice's eye. The key was getting pissed off first.

Alice held eye contact for another few seconds before sighing and looking down at the sheet in front of her. "Come on, let's at least finish this."

Asteria really wanted to tell Alice to do it herself but had a feeling that her future rested in those tiny, cold hands of hers. Alice could always tell Carlisle, who she was sure would be more than happy to follow up on his ultimatum of telling Charlie.

Resigned to actually doing the work, Asteria flew through the material with Alice and they ended up being the first group done. Alice collected the papers and took them up to Senora Schaeffer's desk while Asteria pulled out her notebook once again. She was hoping to ignore Alice for the rest of the class period with it. No such luck.

"What's that you're working on," she asked curiously.

"It's just a notebook I've been scribbling in during my free time," Asteria answered cautiously.

"Oh, so what are you writing in it," Alice continued.

"Just nonsense. It's really not that interesting," Asteria brushed it off. She continued rereading everything she had written. This time she flipped back a few pages to go over different herbs and their uses. She had even drawn little illustrations of the herbs next to their descriptions. Looking over, she thought she caught Alice's eyes straying over the page. Taking a brief second to pray for patience she didn't have, Asteria flipped the notebook closed and decided to take out her old copy of A Study in Scarlet again.

"So, when do you think you're coming over," Alice asked her as the bell rang. "Because I was thinking Mondays and Thursdays might be nice. That way no Friday plans get interrupted, but it's still spaced nicely in the week."

"Sorry, what," Asteria asked, thoroughly confused.

"The other part of Carlisle's agreement," Alice clarified. Asteria was grateful she kept her voice low. She had forgotten about that part of their arrangement.

"Oh," Asteria replied slowly. "Yeah, I guess that could work."

"Great," Alice said with a bright smile. "You can come over right after school and we'll work on the Spanish homework Senora Schaeffer assigned while you were zoning out."

"Fantastic," Asteria said. She tried to keep the sarcasm out of her tone, but was sure the fake smile she had wasn't doing any favors. "See you then."

Lunch was the usual annoying affair. Asteria was heading straight for her table, then thought better of it and picked up a bag of chips and a bottle of water. At least it was something. She still beat the rest of them to the table, and got the added bonus of a glare off with Madison.

The other girl ended up marching over to her, tossing her hair as she went. "What do you think you're looking at," Madison sneered at her.

"That blending job," Asteria replied easily. "You realize that the point of a contour is to enhance your cheekbones, not make your face look dirty."

"Excuse me," Madison asked as her voice went up a full octave. "You're no one to talk like that. You dress like a-,"

"Ladies, is there a problem here," one of the science teachers, Mr. Montgomery asked. Asteria hadn't noticed him walk up.

"Not at all," Asteria said easily with a grin. "I was just complimenting Madison's makeup. I have no idea what foundation she's using, but it really covers up the green undertones in her complexion."

Madison let out a loud scoff, but the teacher sadly took the words at face value. "Alright ladies, enjoy your lunch," the teacher said before wandering off.

"Go on," Asteria said while waving her hand dismissively at the other girl. "You heard him, enjoy your lunch."

The arrival of Damien and Rachael at the table easily meant Madison was outnumbered, and like any high school drama queen she wasn't willing to take a real challenge. She swiftly turned on her foot and huffed her way back to her own table.

"She made a good choice, after Friday I feel like kicking her ass," Rachael said as Natalie and Matt joined them.

"I'm sorry," Natalie said while looking at Damien. "Have you seen Rachael, I can't find her anywhere. You know, hippie, brunette, fun loving go-with-the-flow Rachael? All I can see is the bad ass sitting over there."

Everyone at the table laughed, even if Asteria did it while feeling uneasy. So far she hadn't had to confront any part of that night, and she wasn't about to. "So," she interrupted to change the subject, "did I miss anything interesting Saturday night?"

"I found out I can eat an entire pizza in under twenty minutes," Matt replied.

"Uh huh," Natalie said annoyed. "And then puke it back up in the next hour, all over the bathroom floor."

"Oh good, I was afraid I might have missed something important," Asteria said.

"No, although Halloween is coming up next week," Rachael pointed out. "I guess we're gonna have to come up with some fun plans."

"Oh please, we're doing the same thing we do every year," Damien said with an eyeroll.

"Oh no, please not that again," Asteria deadpanned.

Natalie laughed. "It's sort of a tradition that every Halloween teenagers sneak into this abandoned house south of Hoquiam and party. It's too far out of city limits for local cops to patrol, and it's far enough in the woods that neighbors don't call it in."

"Spooky," Asteria said sarcastically while taking a sip of her water.

"It's honestly a lot of fun," Damien said. "Someone brings a stereo to crank, everyone gets blasted, but with the added bonus of wearing awful costumes."

"Last time Matt threw up all over the backseat of my car," Rachael said with a glare at him. "So this year someone else drives."

"I'll drive as long as Matt keeps his head out of the window at all points in time," Damien said.

"What if it rains," Matt jokingly asked.

"I hope your costume has a hood," Natalie laughed.

Statistics was surprisingly less awful than usual. The teacher was out, so the class had convinced the sub that normally the daily handouts were done in groups. Natalie, Damien, Rachael, and Asteria huddled together in a group of desks at the back of the class and were most definitely not working on the handouts. It was just a review anyway.

"So, what are you going to be for Halloween," Rachael asked her.

"I don't know, I don't really dress up for Halloween anymore," Asteria said.

"Oh, I have the perfect idea," Natalie said in a way that definitely spelled trouble. "We should all be witches."

If Asteria had a drink, she'd be choking on it. "I don't know about that."

"Oh, come on. It's the perfect costume. All it takes is some fun makeup, some black clothes, and think about this: you can dress _warm_. We'll get cloaks. It's always freezing that night. Last year I was a go-go dancer and I almost died from the cold," Natalie said.

"I'm sorry," Asteria interrupted. "Can we expand on the topic of you dressing as a go-go dancer?"

"No," Natalie said quickly. "We're focusing on witches costumes right now."

"I'm in," Rachael shrugged.

Asteria sighed deeply, sure that the powers that be were testing her. "Yeah, sounds fine with me I guess."

"Aw how cute, but if you guys are going with matching costumes what am I supposed to be," Damien asked.

"Who cares, we're gonna look great," Natalie said. Rachael playfully threw an eraser at her, which prompted a paper throwing fight that had to be broken up by the sub.

Geography followed suit easily enough. It wasn't the best day in the class, but all they did was take some notes and then watch a short documentary on the rivers of South America. Nothing too strenuous.

"How do you think you did on that history test," Emmett asked her as they walked with Rosalie out to the parking lot.

Asteria figured there was no getting out of it while they planned on having her over after school, so she might as well keep pace with them. Admittedly, she had to convince herself not to bolt for it and say she forgot about the plans.

"It was multiple choice," Asteria said, as if that explained everything.

"I take it that means it was easy," Rosalie asked while glancing over at her.

"Ridiculously so," Asteria replied. "No studying necessary."

They were approaching the cars, and Alice was waiting expectantly next to the Camaro. "I thought it would be easiest to ride with you, so you didn't get lost," Alice told her cheerfully.

"Great idea," Asteria commented as she unlocked the doors. Alice slipped into the passenger seat easily. If Alice thought she was going to turn her music down, she was dead wrong. She did let it cycle through other songs so it wasn't just "Raise Hell" playing, but it was definitely the first song she clicked. Alice raised an eyebrow, but otherwise didn't comment.

She knew Edward drove like a speed demon, but was still surprised when he peeled out of the lot a little ahead of them and never got a chance to see the Volvo in the distance afterward. Maybe he took a different way home than what Alice was directing, but she never once saw the Volvo ahead of them. It was probably better that Alice was riding with her after all.

All too soon, Asteria pulled into a nearly hidden driveway and eased her Camaro slowly up the drive, not at all eager for the afternoon to come.


	8. A Really Intense Game of Hide and Seek

A/N: Hey guys, I made it through Valentine's in one piece, so here's the next chapter! Thank you to everyone for taking the time to read, favorite, or review! I did see that someone mentioned not liking the Cullens too much, and I honestly get it. They're butting heads with Asteria a lot at the moment. I've always thought of the Cullens, specifically Alice, as the over-involved type once they decide to get involved. To them, Asteria has a problem (and it really is a problem) and they feel inclined to help with the attitude that they know what's best. To Asteria, they're micromanaging and disrupting her only coping mechanisms. All I can say is that it's going to be interesting to watch them all find a middle ground.

Have fun reading!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Not a fan of neighbors, huh," Asteria asked as she parked in the long driveway. She hadn't noticed before how massive the house looked from the outside. Still, it looked stunningly built.

Alice laughed easily. "We prefer privacy, especially moving into a small town like this."

"Yeah, this town could do with a little more of that," Asteria said while grabbing her backpack and slinging it onto her shoulder. Alice was already out of the car, backpack in hand and ready to go.

"Come on, we'll go to the dining room and work on our Spanish," Alice said while leading the way.

Unsurprisingly, the rest of the Cullen children were already inside. It looked like Jasper and Emmett were currently playing against each other at some video game and Rosalie was painting her nails nearby. Edward was missing, which didn't strike Asteria as particularly strange. She got the vibe that he was sort of the loner of the group, and he was moody enough from their few encounters that she didn't feel overly sympathetic about it.

They had barely spread their things on the table when Esme breezed into the room with a plate of veggies and ranch dip. "I thought you might like a snack while you work."

"Thank you, Esme," Alice said brightly. "I'm stuffed, but I don't think Asteria ate lunch at all."

"I did too," Asteria defended herself. Chips counted as eating, just not "eating well". Alice shot her a look that said she didn't buy it. "But thank you Esme, it looks good."

"You're welcome, sweetheart. Enjoy your studying," Esme said as she disappeared back through the kitchen. Not exactly the phrasing Asteria would use, but it came from the right place.

"Senora Schaeffer assigned us pages 53 through 57 as homework," Alice informed her as she flipped through the workbook. She was always too cheerful about things that didn't need to be cheerful.

"Five pages," Asteria all but whined.

"Two of them are just reading," Alice said with an eyeroll. "You'll survive."

"Thank you for the vote of confidence," Asteria said sarcastically.

"Do you want to work on it together," Alice asked.

Asteria weighed her options very carefully. On one hand, she might be able to con Alice into doing most of the work. On the other, much more likely, hand it might take twice as long while Alice forced her to participate actively.

"I'll just see how far I can get on it," Asteria replied.

"Suit yourself," Alice said with a shrug.

Asteria plowed through it easily. Most of it was either reading or simple multiple choice questions. There were some new irregular verbs to conjugate, but they weren't too hard. The silence was occasionally interrupted by the boys playing their game in the next room; she couldn't see either the boys or the television, but with the open doorway between the rooms it would be hard to miss Emmett's booming voice.

After maybe twenty minutes, Asteria pushed aside the workbook. She wasn't surprised to find Alice already done. She seemed like the type to fly through homework and from experience grading it, Asteria already knew it was correct.

Alice slid the workbook in front of her and quickly flipped through it to compare answers. "Well, you have all of the same answers as me, so I assume it's correct."

Just then, Asteria's witchy intuition made an appearance. Instinctively, she knew something was about to happen and turned wearily towards the living room entrance. She just barely registered something hurtling across the living room before the telltale sound of shattering glass.

"You're in so much trouble now," Jasper said from the other room.

Asteria wearily stood up from the chair to see what had happened. Alice had long since beaten her and all but flew into the other room. Esme appeared behind Asteria as well, and had a look on her face that sent Asteria moving aside in a hurry.

A ripped painting slumped against the bottom of the far wall with pieces of broken frame and shards of glass surrounding it. The mangled remnants of a playstation controller lay next to it. More incredibly, Asteria thought she could see an actual dent in the wall. _How hard could they have thrown it?_

"Explain," Esme barely ground out.

"We were on a really hard level, and uh, I kept respawning and it just kind of, flew out of my hand," Emmett explained sheepishly. Asteria never thought the term 'sheepish' could apply to Emmett.

"You have to be more careful, and we have company over," Esme scolded him before sighing. "Go get the broom and dustpan, you'll have to clean it up."

"Come on Asteria, let's go back to the table," Alice said.

"Actually, if you don't mind, I should probably head out anyway. I need to make dinner for Charlie and do a few chores. I want to get it out of the way so I can get an early night," Asteria responded. Something felt weird here, but she couldn't quite figure out what.

"Oh, that's fine too," Alice said brightly. "Have you been getting enough sleep? You do look a little tired."

"I'm fine, I just didn't sleep well last night," Asteria said. _Didn't sleep at all, technically._

Alice eyed her suspiciously. "Maybe you should go to bed early then."

"It was nice having you over, dear," Esme said sweetly. After scolding Emmett she seemed to turn back into her usual motherly self. "We'll see you again Thursday, right?"

"Yep, see you then. Thank you for having me over," Asteria said while packing up her things. She figured being extra polite would gain her some bonus points.

"No problem dear, have a good night," Esme responded.

Alice walked Asteria back out to her car. "Sorry about Emmett, he can get a little into gaming. I don't know how many times Carlisle has had to tell him to ease up. The boys just get too competitive, and then they lose track of what they're doing. He's going to get the playstation put away if he keeps this up."

"No, it's fine. I'm sure it was a really hard level. Tell him for future reference, throwing the controller doesn't actually move his player," Asteria joked poorly.

Alice grinned. "I'll tell him. Have a good night!"

"Thanks, you too," Asteria said as she drove off. The car ride passed quickly as Asteria kept thinking about why the whole incident was so weird. It took her a while to realize that no matter how hard the controller was thrown, it shouldn't have been able to shatter glass, tear through the painting and its backing, and still leave a sizeable dent in the wall.

Asteria's mind went into overdrive, trying to think of a solution. Maybe there was already a crack in the glass that had weakened it, or the controller hit at just the right angle. Maybe Emmett was on steroids? It sort of made sense, given how muscular he was. Then again, she doubted he could get away with something like that with Dr. Carlisle so close.

She thought about it all through making dinner, and while loading the washer. Eventually Asteria chalked it up to just another weird thing about the family that she didn't want to examine too closely. It still didn't help that deep unease inside of her about the whole thing.

Asteria, miraculously, finished her homework for once that night. That's how badly she wanted to be distracted. Charlie wasn't much company either; he stuck to his usual routine of watching the news before flipping to some old western movie. She contemplated going to sleep already, but wasn't keen on waking up at two in the morning from another nightmare.

Sighing, Asteria went upstairs and decided to work on translating more of her book of shadows into Gaelic. At least it was productive. She had just come to a close on Eveline's section of the book, and almost felt a little sad about it. She had grown distinctly closer to her ancestor while reading her inner thoughts and transcribing all she had to teach. It was like watching a close friend move away.

Thankfully, it didn't seem that Eveline's passages ended with her death, but rather upon passing it down to her own daughter, Linette. The writing was slightly more slanted which made it difficult to read, but it was in such a lovely script Asteria couldn't bring herself to be annoyed.

While Eveline's journey had been fairly singular, it seemed Linette had more than just her mother as a tutor. She often brought up her friend Beth who seemed 'blessed by the stars' as well, as Linette had put it. She seemed to be much more optimistic than her mother. While Eveline suffered greatly from her visions, it seemed Linette wasn't equally tortured. Instead of visions, she seemed to have a touch of luck about her, as she so put it. If she focused greatly on an outcome and desired a more positive outcome, she was more than likely to get it. Wasn't that just swell?

Asteria quickly found herself missing Eveline more and more despite herself. It isn't that Linette had nothing helpful to say, but everything was just so disgustingly positive and excitable. Linette definitely had that upbeat, happy-go-lucky personality. Of course, she also had plenty of support with her mother and best friend both to lean on.

Asteria was hit by a pang of sorrow as she thought of her own mother. How much easier would things be if she had someone to show her the way? She longed more than anything to have her parents back, but thinking about the 'what-ifs' was a dangerous rabbit hole to start down. Wiping away the tears she didn't realize had started to fall, she slammed the book of shadows shut and packed her things back down her hiding place.

By this time it had become nearly ten at night and she pondered what to do next. She was dead tired, but feared sleep wouldn't be an easy task. Instead, she chose the completely logical option of once again heading out the window into the night. Choosing the song "Bad Dream" by Ruelle at random on her playlist, she set it to play on repeat as background noise as she climbed over the edge of the windowsill. To be fair, Asteria didn't pack any alcohol with her. She left the backpack behind and took only her flashlight.

Her favorite fallen tree was waiting for her as always and Asteria wasted no time settling comfortably into the little crook between branches. It allowed her to almost recline back as she looked through the thinning canopy up at the cloudy night. If she was lucky, she might be able to see a few stars through the haze. Her phone flashed it was at ten percent and she reluctantly stopped her music.

That intuition fired up in the back of her mind that she was being watched again. Asteria tried to tamp it down, but couldn't argue when she thought she heard the snap of a branch nearby. Sitting up, Asteria suddenly grew brave. She swung her flashlight into the darkness around her while watching cautiously for the reflection of eyes.

 _Please don't be some big animal_ , Asteria thought as she gripped the knife in her back pocket. Not that she wouldn't go down swinging, but she had always hoped for a cooler death than "mauled by a bear".

Getting sudden inspiration, Asteria planted her feet in the ground and quickly started her breathing exercise. Feeling instantly calmer, she let the energy continue to flow upward until she felt her hands shaking with it. If something was coming, and hadn't attacked her yet, it was going to be in for a hell of a surprise.

Feeling emboldened, she once again swung her flashlight around wildly hoping to catch something. Only this time, her senses told her to look up into the branches. The bright beam connected with something moving _fast_. It was a white blur, but she could definitely make out the glint of an eye before hearing something big swing onto one branch after another into the night.

Asteria stood frozen in horror for a second while staring at the empty branch that thing used to occupy before she used her built up energy and got the hell out of there. Running like her life depended on it, she crashed through the underbrush as she left the path behind her. She just ran in the straightest back home she could find. As the trees thinned she slowed down and abruptly collapsed on the backyard while breathing heavy.

Belatedly she hoped that Charlie wouldn't have been able to hear any of that, but supposed the man was a heavy sleeper anyway. It took five full minutes to get her breathing back in order, during which time she realized the run had really taken a toll on her. She had a few scratches on the side of her cheek near the hairline, debris in her hair, and had even torn her jacket. Not to mention an exposed root that had tripped her up and caused her to scrape her knee badly. Everything from her thighs down was caked in mud.

Still shaken up, Asteria climbed into her window as carefully as she could, which was no easy feat with how lightheaded she felt at the moment. Her shoes were quickly kicked off and tossed into a corner before she stripped her soiled clothes off and threw on pajamas. She tried her best to wipe up the mess around the window before it gave her away to Charlie. Sighing, she realized a shower was definitely in order and hoped the sound wouldn't wake up the chief.

Looking in the bathroom mirror, she realized she was as white as a ghost. Her hands were gripping the counter for dear life, but she could tell they were still shaking. Asteria jumped in the shower quickly and did her best to get rid of the evidence. She tried to take a quick shower, but ultimately must have failed her goal as Charlie knocked on the door after she had gotten dressed and was brushing her teeth.

"Is everything alright? It's two in the morning, why were you taking a shower," Charlie asked.

"I'm just not feeling well," Asteria managed to say. She didn't need to act even. With her pale complexion, shaking hands, and the way she stumbled over talking, she definitely sounded unwell.

"You look sick, kid. How about you try going back to bed and don't worry about school tomorrow. Just get some rest and I'll call you in sick," Charlie said through a yawn.

"Thanks Charlie," she said halfheartedly while going into her room. Her head spun and she started to fall but caught herself on the doorframe. Charlie then helped her to her bed.

"Sleep," he said with worry in his tired voice. "I'll check on you before I leave for work, but if you want I can stay home."

"No, no! I already feel bad for waking you up, I'm sure I'll be fine after I get some rest. If I still feel awful when I wake up I'll call," Asteria said. "Really Charlie, please don't miss work for me."

"Alright kid, but if you're asleep when I leave I want you to call when you wake up anyway," he said. "Good night."

"Good night," she said with a strained voice.

As he closed the door, her mind finally strayed to the white blur that appeared every time she closed her eyelids. Something had been out there all this time, watching her. She hadn't been paranoid. She was sure of it.

What it was still remained a mystery, and while she wanted to chalk it up to a mountain lion it just didn't sit right. Crazy, that of all things, she _wanted_ it to be a mountain lion. Crazier still that as the figure disappeared into the trees she just thought she caught the outline of a more human figure.

Of course, what was she to believe? Some sort of pale, smaller bigfoot was roaming the Washington treetops to spy on her as she relaxed at night? No, she was going to cling to the idea of a mountain lion like Rose clinging to that floating door in Titanic. She wasn't sure what Jack was in this scenario, probably her own sense of sanity.

Eventually her tired mind imploded in on itself and couldn't handle the stress of the shock she had combined with her lack of sleep. Asteria drifted off into a sleep so deep it was blissfully dreamless. She awoke around one that afternoon feeling slightly better. As long as she didn't focus on what she saw, she'd be fine.

Slumping down the stairs, Asteria paused to slump on the couch in the living room. It took several minutes and intense willpower to get to the kitchen and reheat some leftovers. She reclaimed her spot on the couch, food in hand, and turned the station to old school cartoons. Tom and Jerry chased each other around on the screen as she ate. It had always been one of her favorite cartoons when she was little. The familiarity of it comforted her much more than any amount of sleep or food could.

It wasn't long before her phone started ringing and she looked down to see Charlie's number. "Sorry, Charlie," she said after answering it. "I just woke up and made myself something to eat, I was going to call soon."

"That's okay, are you feeling better at least," Charlie asked. "I can come home if you need me to."

"Oh no, I'll be fine. I'm feeling better than I was. I think I'm just gonna lie down on the couch for a while and take it easy," Asteria said.

"Alright, let me know if you change your mind. I can have Mark cover for me and come back," Charlie said.

"Alright, goodbye Charlie," Asteria said. It was nice of him to offer, but Asteria wasn't even sure what he could do to help, and having him hover nearby felt like too strange of a concept.

 _Tom and Jerry_ ended and was replaced by _Scooby Doo_ , which equally fueled Asteria's nostalgic feeling. She quickly lost track of time until the doorbell rang and made her jump. It couldn't have been the chief; he had never been known to forget his keys.

Groaning as she unfolded herself from the couch and trudged over to the door, Asteria found Emmett and Rosalie waiting outside. She was suddenly acutely aware of how she must have looked with bed head, zero makeup on her sickly face, and old pajamas while Rosalie looked like she hired a damn makeup artist to get her ready for the Met Gala.

"Oh, I guess you really are sick," Emmett greeted her with, which caused Asteria to promptly swing the door shut again. He stuck his foot in just before she could fully swing it shut.

"Sorry, sorry," he all but yelled at Asteria as Rosalie glared at him. "Can we come in?"

"Why," Asteria asked, still not completely forgiving him.

"We heard you were sick, so we collected your homework from the office for you," Rosalie said, moving past Emmett so she was closer.

Wordlessly, Asteria swung the door open for them. Rosalie led the way inside with Emmett trailing behind. He set a folder down on the coffee table, presumably full of all the homework she thought she was getting out of by not attending class for the day.

"Scooby Doo," Emmett asked lightheartedly, almost like he was afraid it was going to get him in trouble again.

"It was a childhood favorite. There's really not much on during the day," Asteria said as fell back to her place on the couch. She rubbed her arm, suddenly feeling slightly cold. Rosalie took an old afghan from its spot on the back of an armchair and tossed it to her. "Thanks."

"What are you sick with? You seemed just fine when you left yesterday," Rosalie asked her.

"I don't really know," Asteria said. "I was just lying in bed last night and got cold chills and a really bad headache. I started to get dizzy too."

"So you were just, what, asleep and then woke up sick," Emmett asked. Asteria noted how weird the question was, and it wasn't just her intuition. Something was definitely weird.

"I guess, yeah. Why, does it matter," Asteria asked him.

"No," Emmett said while shaking his head. "Just curious."

"We should let you rest," Rosalie told her, although she shot Emmett a look when she said it. "Unless you want to go over the homework."

"No, I'm fine. Thanks anyway," Asteria said while getting up.

"Its fine, we'll let ourselves out. Don't get up," Rosalie said.

"Feel better," Emmett told her as he followed Rosalie to the door.

"Thanks. See you later," Asteria called after them. She had finally decided: the whole family was just a little bit off.


	9. The Sandman Can Bite Me

A/N: Hey guys! Thank you once again to everyone who reads, favorites, or reviews this story! And my god, I am literally so touched by the reviews. Writing has always been something I do in my free time, but recently I've been thinking about my own future (a scary prospect). Writing this story in particular has been such a dream with how inspired I've felt, and your reviews have made me think about trying to write an original story of my own to see where I go from there. I know, head in the clouds.

Anyway, I'm writing this story out several chapters in advance, so I already know what happens from here. I love hearing all the theories you guys have on where this story is going, but I've promised myself I won't give the plot away. Keep the guesses coming though! I'm very entertained. Maybe if I like an idea well enough I'll rewrite it into the story.

I've been kind of nervous about the reaction to this chapter in particular, so here goes nothing. Please set down all pitchforks before reading.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Unfortunately for Asteria, she couldn't keep her dreams at bay for long. She woke up around four in the morning biting back a scream. That damn nightmare was still playing on repeat in her head. She wasn't even near the fire when it started; she had been inside with her friend Jamie when the shed caught fire. Ryan, her sleazy boyfriend at the time, had snuck behind the shed to smoke and started a fire like an idiot. They broke up that night.

To make matters worse, her nightmare had taken on a new element. Interspersed with the regular scenes, she now caught fleeting moments of the white blur with reflective eyes moving on the edges of the party. It was like Godzilla and King Kong morphing together to destroy a city.

Pushing her hair out of her face and sweeping it into a ponytail, Asteria decided four a.m. was as good as it was going to get for the morning. Yawning, she wondered what to do next. A bowl of cereal was a possibility, but her stomach wasn't even awake yet. Her typical breakfast of Irish coffee was out of the question thanks to the Cullens. She briefly thought about an early morning walk and all but shuddered when she remembered what she had seen.

Asteria sighed and flopped back on the bed. It felt like all of the fun options had been taken from her, and it was the first time she started to feel a little like a prisoner. Left with no other choices, she regretfully pulled out the homework packet Emmett and Rosalie had dropped off the day before and managed to finish the entire thing before her alarm went off.

A long, warm shower put her in a better mood but she couldn't shake the tiredness that was starting to feel permanent. Asteria did her best to wing her eyeliner and apply her lipstick regardless; just because you feel like crap doesn't mean you have to look like it.

Pulling into her usual parking spot with less enthusiasm than ever, Asteria pushed her bangs from her face with a yawn while grabbing her bag.

"No music today," Rosalie asked with a frown as Asteria climbed out of the old Camaro.

"Oh," Asteria said while feeling her phone in the back pocket of her jeans. She had completely forgotten the morning ritual. "Guess not."

"Are you sure you're feeling better," Alice asked her with concern on her face.

Now, Asteria was still dead tired, so maybe it was her mind playing tricks on her, but she could have sworn that mixed in with that concern was an equal amount of guilt. Highly illogical, the thought nevertheless crossed into her mind and she filed it away with all the other red flags she collected about the Cullens.

"I'm fine, just tired," Asteria responded as she yawned yet again. The whole no sleeping thing was catching up to her.

"When was the last time you got a decent night's sleep," Alice asked.

"Define 'decent'," Asteria responded.

"At least seven hours," Alice clarified.

"I slept like nine yesterday, I think," Asteria said while swinging her backpack up on a shoulder.

"And before that," Rosalie asked.

Asteria paused for a moment. "Second grade, I think? I don't know, but I'm fine. Possibly late for class if I don't start moving, but fine. See you guys later."

Asteria trudged to the history building like she was moving through quicksand. Every part of her felt slower, and she chalked it up to her lack of sleep and recovering from being sick and stressed.

"Man, you're moving slow today," Emmett said behind her. It really made her appreciate just _how loud_ Emmett's voice really was.

"Leave me alone, I'm too tired for a witty comeback. Preying on the weak is beneath you," Asteria practically mumbled.

"Technically, you're always weaker than me so no matter what I'm preying on the weak," Emmett laughed. While true, it was wholly unnecessary.

"Still not coming up with anything. Do me a favor and feel insulted anyway," Asteria said.

"Sure thing," he replied while opening the classroom door for her.

"Thanks, never would have managed," Asteria said with an eye roll while taking her seat.

"Keep digging, you'll find that charming sarcasm buried down in there somewhere," Emmett said cheerfully before class officially started.

Chemistry was no better, and as the powerpoint went on Asteria found herself growing drowsier. The dimmed lighting, teacher's droning voice, and warm room became the perfect recipe for a power nap. In the back row, no one noticed as she propped her head in one hand, pulled her hood lower, and finally closed her eyes.

"Hey, wake up," a surreally beautiful voice said as Asteria was gently shaken on her shoulder.

Jumping up like she had caught fire, Asteria became aware that Rosalie had just shaken her awake as class ended. She could see the teacher in the front of the room glaring back at them, probably just now aware that Asteria had been using the lecture to take a little siesta.

"Sorry, I'm awake," Asteria said. It was true; she felt more alert than previously thanks to her twenty minute nap and a little surge of adrenaline from being woken up abruptly.

"Are you sure you're alright," Rosalie asked her doubtfully. "You don't seem yourself today, and you're clearly still tired."

"I'm fine, I'm just not sleeping well," Asteria said defensively. She was really done with everyone getting into her business. "I'll take a nap after school and be fine."

"Alright," Rosalie said, but her tone sounded unconvinced.

Asteria rushed off to English for her seat next to Rachael, where the other girl significantly lifted her mood. They worked together on revising a paper due at the end of the week, but otherwise slacked off talking until the bell rang. Asteria sighed heavily and weighed her options: she could either go to Spanish and face Alice's three million questions, or she could go take a nap in the Camaro and skip class.

The nice thing about sleeping in the Camaro was how far back the driver's seat actually reclined. It was very comfortable, and Asteria kept a blanket in the car for just such occasions. Thankfully, no one ever patrolled the parking lot so it was a safe, tranquil spot. The overcast day added to the sleepy affect.

Pounding on the side of her car woke her up. Groaning, she turned to see Natalie and Matt with their faces pressed to the driver's side window.

"Wake up, Sleeping Beauty," Natalie called through the glass. "I need someone to be petty with me."

Rolling her eyes, Asteria pulled her seat back to an upright position and climbed out. As she was reaching for her bag she saw a stray can of air freshener tossed in the backseat. Asteria grabbed it and spun, spraying the other two in a cloud of Hawaiian Breeze that eventually enveloped all three in a coughing mess.

"Ohhh, if this didn't smell so good you'd be paying for that right now," Natalie said.

"Honestly I think it improved Matt," Asteria said. "Now he doesn't smell like the pound of Axe he normally sprays in the morning."

"There's nothing wrong with how I smell," Matt said defensively.

"Uh huh, just a friend telling a friend. Don't make it weird," Asteria replied.

"What's up with you lately, anyway," Matt asked her as they walked back into the cafeteria.

"Dude, if I knew life would be a hell of a lot simpler," Asteria replied before stifling a yawn. "I don't know, I'm just not sleeping well." By this point in time they had taken a seat at their usual table. It looked like lunch was halfway over, but at least Rachael had gotten her a salad.

"Why not? Just can't get to sleep, keep waking up, what is it," Rachael asked her.

"I keep having these fucked up dreams," Asteria said after taking a bite of her salad. "And they make zero sense. How'd you guys find me anyway?"

"Matt went out to his car to smoke and saw you sleeping. He came back in and told us so I decided to be your wake up call," Natalie said. "The original plan was to dump water on you but I'm lazy and you lock your car doors."

"Ah, there's the Natalie we know and love," Asteria said sarcastically. "I was afraid you were almost becoming a decent human being."

"Nah, that's too much effort," Natalie said. "I prefer to be a passive jerk and let the opportunities present themselves."

"I know you don't like smoking, but it helps with sleep," Matt said. "You should do it more."

Without thinking about it, Asteria's eyes slid across the cafeteria to the Cullens' table where more than one set of eyes was already looking over at her table. Little, sweet Alice Cullen was practically glaring daggers at Matt and it almost seemed like they had somehow heard the conversation. _Yet another red flag to file away for later._ If she was already in trouble for drinking, she could just imagine what would happen if Carlisle thought she was smoking.

"Thanks, but I'm sure it'll pass. I'm not too worried about it," Asteria said and hoped the conversation would drop. She was still a little concerned about the look on Alice's face.

"Alright, just keep it in mind," Matt responded.

"Oh, I almost forgot to tell you," Natalie said excitedly. "You know Madison is in my English class, right? We had that stupid test today and Mr. Gardner caught her cheating. Full week of in-school detention. I've never been more excited about class."

"I'm so happy for you and your immediate future," Asteria replied sarcastically.

"Thank you, it's looking so much brighter now," Natalie replied cheerfully.

The bell rang and the group picked up their belongings and headed off to class. Statistics was its usual boring affair. Fortunately, Natalie had somehow conned the teacher into letting her go over yesterday's lesson with Asteria which gave them the perfect excuse to slack off without paying attention.

Geography was equally boring but at least Asteria got out of a pop quiz over South American capitals due to her sick day. It seemed skipping class did come with perks. She used her time instead to go over her journal, this time adding little notes in Gaelic as she connected one or two stray ideas from earlier passages or things she remembered from her mother's entries.

Asteria was so occupied that she missed when the quizzes were officially turned in and the lecture started. She was still scribbling when she heard the teacher call her name.

"Sorry, Mrs. Benson, could you repeat the question? I was still copying down the last slide, I fell behind," Asteria said as innocently as she could manage.

"I asked which South American country was most impacted by Portuguese settlers," the teacher clarified.

"Brazil," Asteria said, although it came out sounding more like a question. She felt about eighty percent sure of the answer at the very least.

"That's correct," Mrs. Benson said, but her tone sounded very unsatisfied. She resumed teaching as Asteria reluctantly flipped her journal shut and pulled out her notes. The teacher always put the powerpoint online afterwards so it never mattered much if she missed things.

Having already missed some of it, Asteria didn't feel very inclined to take notes and made a poor attempt to at least seem like she was paying attention. She'd just redo it all anyway if she really had to. Every now and then she had that paranoid feeling she was being watched, and looked up once to catch Rosalie's eyes flicking back to her before back up at the board.

The final bell rang out and Asteria packed her things up slowly, knowing that Emmett and Rosalie would be out the door and down the hall by now. Maybe if she went slow enough she'd miss the Cullens at their Volvo altogether.

As Asteria walked out to her car, she idly wondered over her relationship with the Cullens. She didn't hate them, although occasionally they irked her when she felt they should have minded their own business. She also didn't understand why a family that had a reputation for keeping to themselves decided to become so interested in her. Also, there were the million little red flags that kept popping up; they were becoming harder to ignore.

The witch's intuition in her insisted something deeper was happening here, something impossible to ignore. Deciding to embrace her ability however slightly, she paused on the sidewalk looping around a building and closed her eyes while she focused on the feeling.

It wasn't that she saw something, or even really felt something. It felt like Asteria was trying to recall some memory that had become fuzzy with time. Focusing, Asteria's conviction about the Cullens grew bigger and louder until it screamed in her mind. Something was definitively foreign about them in a way she didn't know how to describe, but as she opened her eyes Asteria felt the need to avoid them like the plague.

Unfortunately for her, that didn't seem at all possible. As Asteria slumped her way to the Camaro, she could see the shiny silver of the Volvo still in the parking lot; they were the only two cars left. Walking closer, Asteria realized that Alice was leaning against the driver's door of her Camaro with Jasper standing close by. It appeared she didn't like being ignored.

Asteria idly wondered if she could turn and run but figured it wouldn't help things much. Alice didn't seem like the type that you could hide from for long. Plus there was the whole family blackmail thing they had going on.

"Hey Alice," Asteria greeted her as she finally got within speaking distance. "Something up?"

"I was going to give you your Spanish homework since you skipped class today," Alice replied cooly. Asteria knew enough about teenage girls to know when they were mad, and Alice was definitely pissed as all get-out about something.

"Cool, thanks," Asteria said with forced cheeriness. She also knew that when girls were trying to act like they weren't mad, nothing made them madder than the other person completely ignoring it. She reached her hand out to take the papers in Alice's hand but the other girl didn't move.

"Why did you skip today," Alice asked her.

 _Here we go._ Asteria could once again detect the anger in her voice and it felt almost like a wave coming towards her. She raised her head slightly higher. If Alice wanted to serve it up, she could toss it right back. A small part of her brain noticed herself starting to feel a little drained, but the rest of her was too pissed off to care.

"I still wasn't feeling well and went out to my car to lie down for a bit," Asteria said with a bored tone that she forced out.

"If you weren't feeling well you should have gone to the nurse," Alice said.

"What is this, the Spanish Inquisition," Asteria asked tiredly.

"Were you out here smoking," Alice asked.

"Sorry, _what_ ," Asteria asked.

"Were you out here smoking with your friend before lunch," Alice repeated with a glare. Jasper stood next to her with his arms crossed over his chest.

Asteria let out an exasperated chuckle through her anger and shook her head. "I am so tired of this. What the hell do you want from me? I've jumped through _every_ stupid hoop you've all told me to and you still have the absolute nerve to stand there and accuse me. Why should I even bother, if this is what I get? _No,_ I wasn't smoking. I was sleeping. But you know what? I'm done. I'm done with you, your family, and this stupid deal. Go ahead, tell Charlie. See if I care. But for fuck's sake, get out of my way."

The sheer force of her anger rattled Asteria, but she had already let it out. It was like a tidal wave that suddenly came crashing out and by the end of her speech she was practically yelling. The anger woke something else in her too, and Asteria could feel that strange pull of power inside of her. The wind had started picking up and it whipped her hair around her.

"Asteria-," Alice started out but Jasper put a hand on her shoulder and shook his head. He pulled Alice to the side and whispered something in her ear which gave Asteria the perfect chance to jump in the Camaro. She threw her bag in the passenger seat and slammed the door shut. In record time the car was in motion and she peeled out of the parking lot.

Belatedly realizing how out of control her temper was, Asteria figured home wasn't the best option. With nothing to do as an outlet for her anger she'd just go crazy. Instead she pulled over quickly; her Oscar-worthy exit meant she hadn't set up music. Taking a few deep breaths to help steady some of the surreal anger, she put Elle King's "Ain't Gonna Drown" on a loop so she wouldn't have to think about background noise and started driving again.

The anger she had felt seemed to come out of nowhere, but looking back Asteria could see it in hindsight. It was like the push and pull of a current, going between herself and Alice, Jasper too she supposed, and each time it grew larger and larger until it got downright venomous. She wondered what the consequences of her actions would be.

Charlie would be home from his shift in a few hours, which would probably be when Asteria saw if the Cullens had followed through on their blackmail or not. Until then, Asteria drove in circles and down back country lanes. The song helped soothe her nerves, and eventually she felt a little calmer. She decided to pull over when she saw a trail marker next to a small gravel lot. It had to be one of the county hiking trails.

 _Hopefully this is far enough away to be alone._ Alone from other people and, as much as Asteria hated to acknowledge it, away from the white blur. It was truly the last thing she wanted to think about at that moment with all the trees surrounding her, but it seemed her mind hated her.

Going as far off the trail as she dared, Asteria attempted her breathing exercise and felt immediately better with the release of negative energy. Feeling emotionally and physically exhausted, Asteria headed back for her car and possibly her judgment day.


	10. Making Martha Stewart Proud

A/N: Oh wow, guys. Thank you so much for all of the reviews, as well as everyone who's read or followed. The first time I uploaded this chapter the file went corrupt or something, so hopefully it's fixed now. Confession time: my favorite part of writing is coming up with the sarcastic chapter titles.

Anyway, enjoy the chapter!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was way too late to make dinner, but Asteria did make it back a few minutes before Charlie got home. She decided to lay down on the couch and hope for the best. The sound of a car pulling into the drive had her on edge. Finding a calm she didn't know she possessed, Asteria forced herself to act calm.

"Hey kiddo," Charlie said as he took off his boots by the door. "How was school?"

Asteria immediately relaxed. That was not the tone of an irate parental guardian. The Cullens must have either decided against it, or hadn't called yet. "It was fine, but I still feel a little sick from yesterday. Sorry, but I came straight home and laid down after school, so there's no dinner made. I can probably make something really quick though."

"You've made dinner a lot lately. Let's give you a break and order pick up from the diner," Charlie said.

"Charlie, if I didn't know any better I'd say you're trying to get out of eating the food I make," Asteria said.

"Never, but a man could use a greasy burger every now and then," Charlie defended. Asteria shook her head with a smile, but didn't comment as he disappeared into the other room to place an order over the phone. He left several minutes later to go pick it up.

Dinner was quiet, but not horribly so. Asteria was still worrying over what the Cullens would do. She couldn't find it in herself to feel bad about the entire thing though. She was convinced something was terribly off about the Cullens and the more distance between them, the better.

After dinner Asteria announced that she was going to turn in early. With the dark circles forming under her eyes and how quiet she had become, it wasn't hard to see she was feeling unwell.

"I think we may have sent you back to school too early," Charlie commented.

"Possibly," Asteria said while she formed an idea. "I think all I need is more rest, but if I go to bed now I won't have time to do my homework for tomorrow."

Charlie walked right into the trap, bless him. "Just focus on getting some sleep. I'll call you in sick tomorrow so you can spend the day catching up. Are you sure that won't make you fall more behind?"

Asteria shook her head, careful to keep her face from giving away her evil plot. "I don't have any tests coming up. I have a paper due Friday, but I have everything I need to finish it here tomorrow so it won't be late. Other than that it's just notes and some homework that I can have Rachael text to me."

"Didn't the Cullens bring you your homework yesterday," Charlie asked.

Asteria almost flinched, but didn't let herself. "Yeah, maybe I can ask them to bring it over again tomorrow."

"Alright, well go on up to bed," Charlie said. "Have a good night."

"You too," Asteria managed to sound as tired as she could while she trudged slowly up the steps.

It was extremely late when Asteria finally went to sleep. She had been studying the book of shadows more when she heard him start up the stairs and quickly hit the light and threw the covers over her. Charlie paused outside her door like he was going to check in, but seemed to think better of it and went to his room as he turned out the hall light. She waited at least ten minutes before turning her light back on.

Linette's passages in the book had come to an end as it was passed down to her daughter, Brigid. Brigid seemed to be a much more practical woman than her mother and Asteria became more relieved. Linette's happy, carefree attitude had nearly driven her insane. Brigid seemed very sensible, but seemed to have her doubts; her first entry noted that she hadn't seen any sign of a gift and was having trouble finding any talent.

While Brigid's entry was comforting, it wasn't very helpful. There was nothing new for Asteria to copy down so she settled for reading through Brigid's accounts of life in 1859. Asteria realized a little late that the Civil War would happen during Brigid's time with the book and wondered what impact it had on her family.

Brigid had several entries detailing her failed attempts at spells. Her mother and grandmother comforted her, saying the age of fifteen might be too early to find your gift. Asteria snorted at that one. Her own gift had shown early signs at fourteen, and by sixteen it was at full blast. Brigid should consider herself lucky, as far as Asteria was concerned.

Asteria yawned and took that as a sign to get some sleep. It's not like she couldn't continue it tomorrow, after all. Tucking the book back into its hiding place safely, she turned out the lights and hoped that for once she could get some rest.

 _Asteria was at the party again with the humid July air making it a little hard to breathe. Someone pushed into her from behind and she felt a drink splash on her as it fell to the ground. Voices were swallowed up by the sound of the bass thumping too loudly._

 _"Hey, pool party," a voice shouted in the distance. Suddenly kids were hopping the fence for the neighbor's yard._

 _Asteria was filled with a sense of dread and knew something bad was about to happen, but she couldn't remember. A hand tugged at her wrist and she looked over to see Ryan, her then boyfriend, smiling and saying something she couldn't make out. It felt wrong, though._

 _Asteria looked around the party for help and her eyes settled on the wooded creek that ran behind the house. A woman stood at the edge of the woods looking like she just stepped out of a historical film. She wore a dark green dress that reminded Asteria of a Civil War documentary and her brown hair had been pulled carefully up on top of her head._

 _The tugging on her wrist persisted, but this time Asteria was able to use a strength she didn't know she had. Breaking her wrist free, she walked easily towards the woman she was sure didn't belong there._

 _"Who are you," Asteria called out over the loud music._

 _"I am Brigid, my dear. I've come to warn you," the woman replied._

 _"I don't understand, what's happening," Asteria said. She was confused; this was her dream, she was sure of that much, but the woman hadn't been there before. Belatedly she remembered the newest addition to her dream. "We have to get away from here, these woods aren't safe. There's something in there."_

 _"I know, child. That's why I'm here. You're on the cusp of something, and it's dangerous. Be careful. Your necklace will only protect you so much," Brigid said while backing into the trees._

 _"Wait, come back," Asteria called after her. Her feet felt rooted to the ground; she could only watch as the woman slowly disappeared in the shadows._

 _"Embrace your gift, it's the only thing that will save you," Brigid called out before she disappeared entirely._

 _A booming noise went off behind her and Asteria was finally able to move. She saw the shed go up in flames and heard the screaming. People started running in every direction._

Asteria bolted upright in bed shaking. This wasn't her usual nightmare; weirdly, she felt a calmness about it that went against her racing mind. The dream had taken on a new life and it was unsettling to say the least. Her tired mind chalked it up to reading Brigid's entries so late at night before bed. Still, it was at least an improvement from how her nightmare usually went so that was a plus.

Shaking her head, she saw it was ten in the morning. Considering she went to bed at four, she called it a successful night's sleep. Asteria wandered down the stairs and made some toast for breakfast. Sitting at the counter, she wondered over the newest addition to her dream.

Brigid had told her to embrace her gift. While it was probably some unsettling side affect of her lack of sleep, it struck a chord inside her that she knew had to do with her intuition. Like it or not, Asteria was going to have to suck it up and take a more active role in things.

After she ate, Asteria went back to her room and flipped through the spells she had already copied down in her journal. Taking Brigid's appearance as some sort of subconscious warning, she decided on a simple protection spell she had seen in Eveline's notes. Grabbing what she needed from her room, Asteria headed back down to the kitchen with a sense of purpose.

Putting on some music in the background, Asteria pulled her hair into a bun and set everything out on the counter. The spell called for a mixture of herbs to be put in the four corners of the house, which seemed simple enough. The second half of the spell was carving a strange rune into a candle and lighting it. As long as the candle was lit, no evil could enter the house.

Rolling her eyes at whatever 'evil' it was supposed to ward off, Asteria nonetheless began. She had to start somewhere, so it might as well be at the corner of delusion and insanity. The song "Angela" by the Lumineers came on in the background and she hummed along as she got to work.

Several of the herbs weren't available to her; she had exactly no clue what 'Angelica' was, but figured she would just wing it. What was it really going to hurt anyway? Grabbing a bowl, she mixed together basil, bay leaves, garlic powder, rosemary, and sea salt. Probably not the use the good people of McCormick Seasonings intended when they started selling spices, but hey; if it didn't work, she could always use it to season dinner anyway.

Asteria grabbed the white pillar candle that had sat gathering dust for over a year and took her pocket knife out. She was supposed to carve an intricate Celtic knot into the side of it; it was circular in shape with little intertwining loops that was supposed to represent a shield. She didn't exactly butcher it, so she called it a success.

Sighing, she guessed she couldn't really just dump a weird mixture of spices in the corner of the floor and call it over with. Asteria grabbed an old towel from the laundry room and cut it into small squares. She threw a little of the mixture into them and then tied them tightly with some spare yarn. She supposed that was as good as it was going to get.

One got thrown behind the washer, and another in the closet downstairs. The downstairs bathroom had one placed behind the toilet, but the last corner was an issue. The living room didn't really have anything in the corner for it to hide behind, and Asteria really didn't want Charlie to find it. She ended up dragging the little end table to the other side of the front door and hoped Charlie wouldn't ask too many questions about it. Duct taping the little package underneath the top of the table, she figured even if he moved it chances are he wouldn't find it.

Asteria cleaned up her mess in the kitchen and took the candle upstairs. Hopefully where the candle was when it burned didn't matter. Shaking her head, Asteria realized none of it really mattered. Whatever 'evil' it was going to guard against wasn't really an issue considering she didn't think there was some supernatural entity out to get her.

Lying on her bed, Asteria decided to let the candle burn for a bit and read more of Brigid's entries. Abruptly, she wished she hadn't. Brigid started off by saying that her mother had gone to a nearby meadow in the morning to collect strawberries and different wildflowers necessary for her spell work. Her mother hadn't returned home by sundown, and now her father and several men from town had gone to look for her. Her grandmother, Eveline, was staying with Linette while the men went searching. Eveline tried her best to appear calm, but it was clear to Brigid that she knew something was wrong.

The next entry was more than a week later and Brigid's usually careful handwriting was partially smeared in some sections. They had finally found Linette's body after days of searching. It seemed that she had been mauled by a bear and in horrible condition. Brigid's father refused to let her see the body. Brigid's grief was a tangible entity in her entry and it filled Asteria with her own grief. Linette hadn't been her favorite account to read, but she hated to see her come to this.

Brigid's teaching seemed to be taken over by Eveline, who had lived just down the road and would often stay with Brigid's family to help through their grieving process. It was a good thing, because Brigid's grief had awakened a powerful gift inside of her.

 _I must be careful, grandmother says. My gift is wild and ruled by my emotions which have been untrustworthy of late,_ Brigid's handwriting spread across the page. _If I am not careful, bursts of flames appear around me. It is deeply troubling. This morning I was frustrated with the goat and nearly set the barn ablaze. I was only just able to tamp the flames out. I fear this new curse and what it will mean for me._

Asteria swallowed hard and set the book down. She hadn't realized how bad her hands were shaking. If Brigid was capable of so much, who knows how powerful a witch could really be. She felt a deep empathy for Brigid; it was so hard to lose a parent and she saw so much similarity between them. Maybe that's why Brigid had been a part of her dream last night.

Brigid went on with her account of her growing powers even as her father was seeking out eligible men for her to marry. Her family was fairly well off it seemed and she was starting to come of age. Brigid wrote how nervous she was, and as she put it "what if a particularly irksome suitor causes me to set their trousers ablaze?" As bad as Asteria had it, at least she never had to deal with that particular problem.

A knock at the door made Asteria stop what she was doing. The clock read three thirty in the afternoon. Too soon for Charlie to be home, but school would have let out not too long ago. She didn't need any intuition to figure out it was probably the Cullens. The doorbell rang through the house next.

If she went to answer the door, she'd have to talk to them, and to be honest: Asteria was still feeling far too petty about yesterday's events. She had no clue how things had escalated so much but knew she didn't care to talk about it. Given how she was feeling about it still it probably wasn't the best idea to answer the door anyway.

Sneaking over to the bathroom, she looked out the window through the lace curtain and saw the silver Volvo sitting in the driveway. At least her suspicion was right. Asteria wondered which Cullen had been brave enough to come over and managed to see Alice and Jasper standing at the door before Jasper happened to look up at the window.

Asteria pulled away but was sure that somehow even through the thick lace Jasper had seen her. Oh well, they already knew she was home. At least now they knew she didn't want to talk to them too. It took a few minutes and one more ring of the doorbell, but she eventually heard the Volvo pull out of the driveway.

She waited a bit before she blew out the candle and went back downstairs. Asteria thought she saw something by the front door and opened it to find today's homework. Rolling her eyes, she picked up the folder and threw it into the neighbor's yard where it fell into the bush before she shut the door.

Asteria took extra time making a nice dinner. If anything, Charlie deserved a good meal for putting up with Asteria's mood lately, and for letting her stay home so much that week. Loaded mashed potatoes, green beans, and steak was waiting for Charlie when he came home.

"Wow kiddo, something smells good," Charlie said as he came in the door. "It looks like someone dropped off your homework too. You must have been sleeping."

Asteria froze. "What do you mean, someone dropped it off?"

"I found this folder sitting on the front step when I walked up," Charlie said as he sat down at the table.

"Weird," Asteria said while looking at it suspiciously. "I didn't see it there." She flipped through the folder and found several of the pages creased and even found dirt smudged on one; it was proof of their launch through the air, but someone had collected them and put them neatly back in the folder.

Dinner became a subdued event while Asteria tried to figure out what happened with her homework. Maybe the neighbor had found it and put it back nicely on the doorstep. Either way, it was troubling. Charlie insisted on doing the dishes since Asteria had made such a nice meal while still feeling 'under the weather' so Asteria went ahead upstairs. She took the folder with her so Charlie wouldn't get suspicious before dumping it into the wastebasket next to her bed.

The sun was setting outside and Asteria took one look out of the window before lighting her candle again. Ridiculous superstition or not it did seem to settle her nerves. Maybe it would keep the White Blur away.

Asteria opened her hiding place again and grabbed the book of shadows, but paused when she saw the bottle of whiskey. Technically she didn't owe anything to the Cullens at this point, and the bottle looked so tempting after the cluster of insanity she was dealing with.

Shaking her head, Asteria decided to focus on Brigid's story. She felt like she owed it to the other girl to read through what she had to say. Brigid was currently ending the fall and preparing for a harsh winter that year. Eveline stayed a constant present in the young girl's life and she thought the world of her grandmother.

Eveline was teaching Brigid to control her power better and she was now able to subdue the emotions that caused it to flare up. Brigid could now start a fire on purpose more often than not, and was looking forward to this power as it started to turn colder outside. Having the ability to create fire would be nice when the snow piled up outside.

It was nearly midnight before Asteria reached a decent stopping point. She got ready for bed in a hurry. Since she didn't put on any makeup washing her face was easy, and after brushing her teeth she climbed into bed. After switching off her bedside lamp she realized the candle was still burning in the corner.

Feeling far too comfortable, Asteria didn't have the willpower to get up to blow it out. Instead she let the flame flicker safely as the candle sat on its metal dish and fell into a deep sleep. For once, the nightmare couldn't get to her.


	11. Mental Breakdown Pending

A/N: Hey again everyone! Who's ready for another fun chapter? I hit a temporary writing snag over the weekend so it looks like it's time to crank some music and start randomly typing to see what comes out. Wish me luck!/ 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Asteria woke to the sound of her alarm instead of her own racing heart, so she considered the day to be off to a good start already. Showering seemed to take less time than usual, which gave her plenty of time to fix her hair and do her makeup. With Halloween the day after, she wanted to dress to impress. Her hair was softly curved into a wavy mess and she gave herself a dramatic purple smoky eye. With her usual winged eyeliner, some dark red lipstick, and a translucent highlight she felt ready to kill.

Maybe it was to celebrate Halloween, or maybe she was dressing to intimidate a certain family to keep them away. Either way, she slipped on black skinny jeans, a flowing charcoal shirt with a skull and crossbones, ankle boots, and a leather jacket. She looked like a biker chick with a grudge and it was fantastic. Asteria was extremely thankful Charlie was already out the door; she had a feeling the police chief wouldn't approve of her outfit.

She even had enough time to make herself coffee and a bagel with cream cheese. The ride to school afforded her one final sign of good luck: the sun broke through the clouds and for once the town looked less ominous.

Asteria had mixed feelings about seeing the sun. She knew from previous sunny days the Cullens would be out of school. At least, if they saw the sun in time to skip class and 'go hiking'. Yet another weird thing about the Cullens. Not seeing the Cullens would mean no confrontation at school today, but she also felt like she had prepared for a battle that she wouldn't get to fight now. _All dressed up and nowhere to go._

True to her prediction, the Cullens' Volvo wasn't in its usual spot and Asteria braved parking in hers. She hoped they wouldn't show at all or walking out at the end of the day would prove awkward. Likewise, history went by without Emmett gracing the class with his presence.

The Cullen-less morning was exactly what Asteria needed; she still hadn't done any of her homework. Thankfully she had an extra copy of her rough draft to hand in for English and hoped the teacher wouldn't realize she hadn't fixed any of the errors from the last time she had turned it in. Not that she particularly cared.

The lunch room was amazingly loud when Asteria entered. All the students were geared up for Halloween, and several had dressed up to school. The Cullens' usual table looked sadly empty as Asteria strode past it to grab some food and find her seat.

"Wow, somebody dressed to impress today," Natalie said as she sat down at the table.

"Well, you know, Halloween. I wanted to look extra fearsome," Asteria replied offhandedly.

"Fantastic job. You look like you're going to jump on a Harley and drag someone behind it," Damien said.

"Why thank you. Keep it up and it won't be you," Asteria said with a grin.

"What time are we all meeting up tomorrow," Rachael asked.

"I was thinking you and Asteria could come over to my house early and do our makeup. My parents are going out somewhere for the night. Then we can meet up with the guys and drive up to Hoquiam," Natalie said.

"Sounds fine to me," Asteria said. "So what, meet at your house at four? That gives us plenty of time to get up there before sunset."

"Somebody afraid of the dark," Matt asked her.

"I thrive in it. I just don't want to miss out on prime partying time," Asteria said.

"Hell yeah," Damien said. "It's gonna be so much fun. The weather should stay clear; I bet there's going to be a bonfire."

The rest of the day passed by in a blur thankfully; the teachers didn't even assign homework. They seemed to realize it wasn't going to get done, especially with a three day weekend in store. Monday was considered a 'teacher's institute day', whatever that meant, which gave the students a nice long weekend to celebrate. While heading home Asteria cranked the music and took the long way. Her bad mood had finally ebbed away in time for the weekend. With "Wicked Ones" by Dorothy blasting as high as the speaker would go, Asteria had high hopes for it too.

She danced around the kitchen while making dinner. Asteria made lasagna, seeing as it was one of Charlie's favorites as well. She wasn't necessarily sucking up, but she definitely wanted to put him in a good mood.

"You're spoiling me, kid," he said while taking another bite. "Two of my favorite meals, two nights in a row."

"Yeah, I was sort of hoping they might make good leftovers," Asteria said slowly. "Tomorrow is Halloween, and Natalie was wanting to have a sleepover. Watch bad horror movies, eat too much candy, that sort of thing."

"Sounds fine by me," Charlie said. "There's no boys involved, right?"

"Not at all," Asteria said quickly. "Just me, Natalie, and Rachael."

"Alright. I'm fine with it. Go have your fun girl time," Charlie said awkwardly.

"Thanks Charlie," Asteria grinned as she picked up the dishes. She realized with Charlie working, he would probably swing by the house to make sure she was there. It would be hard to work around, but she was sure they could swing it.

Upstairs, Asteria once again read through Brigid's entries. Winter broke into spring and Brigid's mood was as positive as Asteria felt. It was a nice change for both of them that soon came crashing down.

Eveline had gone into the woods, presumably to gather more firewood, and had never returned. Brigid was struck with fear as she thought the worst. She described the search parties, composed of the same men as before, who came home each night with no luck. Nearly three weeks later they found a piece of Eveline's skirt torn and bloody hanging from a low branch far deeper in the woods than she needed to have gone.

Brigid's grief seemed more controlled this time. Asteria chalked it up to her new sense of self control, or else how desensitized by death she had become. Either way, Brigid coolly recounted burying that scrap of fabric in place of the body they would never find. With nothing else to go on, they were forced to call it another animal attack.

Not long after, another girl from town went missing. There were rumors of a large animal in the woods attacking people, and many were warned to stay indoors or in large groups. Hunting parties of men went into the woods daily armed with their rifles, but each day came back empty handed. During this time, Brigid turned her heart to a different sense of magic.

 _I feel like I'm truly going mad at times. Inside a room by myself I can hear my name being called, or feel the touch of a soft hand on my shoulder. I hope it is only my grief tormenting my poor heart, but I fear it is more. A small part of me wonders if it could be the whispers of the dead, if perhaps my beloved mother or grandmother is attempting to speak to me again. My heart hopes for it, but I remain skeptical._

Asteria's eyes grew wide. She had always assumed ghosts weren't real; most of the stories seemed fake, or at least unrealistic. If Brigid had started to communicate with the dead, it seemed deeply unsettling. Brigid continued her entries, saying that three more people had gone missing in the span of a week.

Beyond that, she was more than sure she saw Eveline again out of the corner of her eye. It gave her such a fright that she burst into hysterics and that was how her father had found her. Feeling a need to be closer to her grandmother, she eventually went to her grandfather's house and snuck into their room to find her chest. It had been left untouched, thankfully, and Brigid was able to go through the contents.

Inside she found Eveline's own journal. It wasn't the true book of shadows, but did have spells scrawled through it along with her own personal thoughts. It seemed that Eveline was attempting to track down the beast that killed her daughter. The last entry was a spell meant for tracking and attracting prey, and it filled Brigid with such horror that she had dropped the journal back in the chest and left.

Shaking, Asteria realized the implications as well. Whatever animal had killed Linette, it seems that Eveline had gone after it as well and lost. Feeling a cold chill, Asteria quickly lit the candle in her room and threw a blanket around her shoulders. Unable to continue reading just yet, Asteria settled for pacing the room like a mental patient.

Pushing her hair out of her face, Asteria realized there was only one thing that was going to calm her down. Throwing her leather jacket back on, she made her way out the window and down the tree. If she stayed just at the wood's edge she would be fine.

Walking barely into the woods, Asteria stood in the cool night air and took a deep breath. The cold made her feel more vibrant. The sky remained clear and she could see the moon, almost entirely full hanging in the sky surrounded by many stars. Taking a few more breaths she managed to push the negative energy out of her and into the ground before drawing 'clean' energy back out.

Deciding not to waste more time, Asteria reluctantly kicked through the dead leaves and fallen branches as she left the woods. She began to feel that familiar prick of intuition, but this time felt oddly prepared. Turning quickly, she managed to locate the exact spot in the tree branches the blurry white shape was disappearing from.

She stood tall this time and kept her ground, watching long after it disappeared. Asteria was safely in her backyard, one hand around her pendant on her necklace. The thing had run off, meaning it was either scared she knew it was there or it meant her no harm. Either way, she refused to be scared of it again.

Feeling her newfound bravery like a cloak around her, Asteria made her way back up the tree and into her room. She changed into pajamas quickly before attempting to sleep, but it wouldn't work. Asteria stared up at the ceiling and wondered what on earth was in the woods, what creature had attacked her ancestors, why did she keep having nightmares, and a million other questions she never had the answer for.

Asteria didn't remember falling asleep, but she awoke with a start before she realized it. The sun had risen far into the sky behind the clouds, but the weatherman had promised it would clear up before trick or treating started. The sun hadn't been what woke Asteria up, this time it was a different version of the same nightmare.

 _The party blared to life around her. Red plastic cups on the ground. Bodies moving to the beat of the bass. Suffocating July air broken by a stray wind. She knew what was coming this time, and as the first person started to climb over the fence, Asteria moved. She wove through the mass of people towards the wood's edge, far away from the hand that would grab her._

 _This time she saw Brigid in her green dress and reached a hand out to the woman as she moved toward her. Brigid shook her head before turning and disappearing into the trees behind her._

 _"Brigid, Brigid wait," Asteria cried out as she followed the other woman into the dark woods. It was no use; Brigid either didn't hear or didn't care to respond._

 _Asteria wandered through the woods hopelessly crying out for her when she felt a strong current of air as something powerful whooshed past her. Asteria turned as she felt her fear return. The white blur was moving around, zooming through the trees too fast for her to see._

 _Suddenly it returned and stopped. Asteria was startled to see a man, pale as a ghost with long blonde hair. He had a sinister grin and bright red eyes that glowed. Clutched in his arm was Brigid, her deep green dress torn and bloody. A trickle of blood left the corner of the man's mouth as he laughed._

The dream was so much more disturbing than it had been, and Asteria had been thankful for the booming noise in the distance. In her dream, it meant the shed had caught fire. However, the sound was enough to break her out of the dream and she awoke somewhat worse for wear.

She spent a long time in the shower to make up for how cold and shaky she felt. Deciding it would look suspicious not to at least have some makeup on, Asteria applied the basics. She would work on a more dramatic look later at Natalie's. Dressing was similarly kept casual. She settled with plain jeans and a purple hoodie thrown over a tank top. The outfit gave no indication of the wild night ahead of her.

"Asteria," Charlie called up the stairs. "You're friends are here."

Asteria frowned; Natalie and Rachael knew what the plan was, they weren't supposed to come over to Charlie's at all. Figuring they just wanted to go over what to wear, she skipped down the stairs while planning it out in her head, only to stop dead at the bottom. Alice stood in the center of the living room, with Jasper leaning against the far wall.

"Alice, Jasper," Asteria said cautiously. She threw a look over to where she saw Charlie with his back to them, loading his clothes into the washer. "Maybe we should talk outside."

"That's fine with me," Alice said quietly.

"Hey, Charlie, we're just gonna be outside talking. I know the game is about to come on and I don't want to disturb you," Asteria called into the other room.

"Alright, have fun," Charlie said.

Asteria wordlessly led them out the front door and around the side to the backyard. There wasn't much lawn furniture, but she didn't think she wanted to sit down for this.

"Asteria," Alice began. "I came to apologize. Things got out of hand, and I'm very sorry for making the assumptions that I did. It wasn't fair of me, and then things got so built up out of proportions that the situation just went out of control."

Asteria kept her face schooled while nodding at the other girl, but otherwise didn't speak.

"Please say something," Alice sighed.

"I apologize for the way I handled the situation. It could have been dealt with better," Asteria said. She tried to keep her words formal and detached and hoped that would keep them from entering too close into 'feelings' territory.

Alice stared at her for a second and it seemed she was trying to register the tone and feeling of her words. "So that's it then?"

Asteria sighed and tried to compose her words before she replied. "I appreciate the thought behind your family's actions, but not the way you've handled them. I feel constantly monitored and it's unnerving. I'm not a prisoner. If you want to tell Charlie, go ahead. I doubt he'll believe you and there's nothing left for him to find.

"We didn't come here to rat you out," Alice said. Jasper stepped forward and put a comforting hand on Alice's shoulder. "I feel bad for the way you feel treated, and wanted to make amends. I really want to be your friend, and I know the rest of us feel the same."

"I've got a lot going on right now, and I don't really have time to deal with whatever is going on here," Asteria said as kindly as she could through her exasperation. "You want to be friends, that's fine, but I just don't have the time and energy to put into fixing things. You're going to have to deal with where things are at for a while."

"I understand," Alice said sadly. "Do you want to talk about whatever you're going through?"

"No," Asteria sighed. "I can't. Thanks anyway." She hoped the subtle hint would get them to leave.

"Alright, if you ever need to talk though," Alice trailed off. Asteria could still see the sadness on her face. Jasper squeezed her shoulder comfortingly.

"Thanks Alice. Have a fun Halloween" Asteria said while moving towards the front of the house.

"You too," Alice said with an attempt at being cheerful again. She seemed to hesitate before saying, "be safe."

"What did your friends want to talk about," Charlie asked once she stepped inside.

"Nothing, really. They asked me to hang out tonight and I told them I already have plans," Asteria replied before going upstairs to pack her things.

 _I have found it,_ Brigid's next entry started out. Asteria had finished packing and grew bored. Hesitantly, she picked up the book of shadows and resumed her reading. Brigid's next entry was a full two weeks after finding Eveline's journal. _I went back to grandfather's house and took grandmother's journal. What I have next to say will forever shake me to my core, and I have such trouble believing it still._

 _It all started when I saw grandmother's spirit once more. I had heard tell of people communicating with spirits, and sought for a way to hear my grandmother once more. I made an incense of a blend of plants and burned it while I let my mind wander into sleep. While sleeping, a vision came to me._

 _My own mother wandered through the meadow peacefully when a handsome man entered. He was bare chested and deathly pale. The sunlight glinted off of him inhumanly. He moved far too fast to be human, but was some sort of devil. He grinned at her with the wickedness of a demon and his eyes, they were scarlet._

 _I saw him attack my mother. He threw her across the meadow like she weighed nothing before putting his lips to her neck. Another man came forward, just as wicked and foreign with jet black hair. Together they stole the life of my beloved mother and left the meadow with her body still in their hands. I awoke screaming in hysterics, sure this was the truth._

 _I once more saw my grandmother's spirit standing at the foot of the bed. She smiled at me sadly. "They will come for you too, my child. You must be ready. Embrace your gift and it will save you."_

 _Once the terror wore off, I settled into a steely resolve. I had no doubt grandmother was correct, they would come for me as well. Working quickly, I remade the spell grandmother had used to find the creatures. Carrying it with me in a pouch, I set off into the woods._

 _I wandered around the woods for an hour wondering when these devils would appear. I was armed with nothing, but felt courage that my gift would protect me. That so called curse would be my blessing on that day._

 _The one with jet black hair was the first to appear. He approached me slowly, with a feral grace that set me on edge._

 _"Ah, so you are the last one," he said. His voice had a faint accent._

 _"The last one you will ever see," I replied with more courage than I felt._

 _Drawing on the deep anger I had for this creature, I unleashed my power. Fire burst out in every direction and I made no attempt to control it. It consumed him entirely, and I will never forget his screams. I turned and through the flames caught the eye of the other in the distance. He had such a sinister look on his face, as if he would never forget. I struck out at him with my gift, but he was far too quick._

 _I regret not being able to end him as well, and fear this won't be over. I know what they are now, I know that they exist out there, and I know how they may be killed. I will protect my family at all costs._

The faint sound of Asteria's phone ripped her out of her horror. "Hello," Asteria answered it with far too shaky of a voice.

"Hey, wait a second are you okay," Rachael asked her over the phone.

Asteria cleared her throat. "Yeah, I'm fine. What's up?"

"What's up? It's after four, where are you girl," Rachael asked.

Asteria jumped up from bed. "Shit! I lost track of time. Give me five minutes and I'll head out. Sorry!"

Asteria hung up the phone and frantically gathered the last of her things to throw in her bag. She shut the book of shadows and tossed it into the hiding place. She barely looked at the bottle of whiskey before tossing it into her bag as well.

She barreled down the stairs with bag in hand. Charlie had already left for his evening shift so it saved her having to explain she was running late. Feeling completely shaken, Asteria focused on getting to Natalie's before her impending mental breakdown.


	12. Vampires, Witches, and Bill Murray

A/N: Hello, everyone! Thank you for all the love and appreciation you've shown my story! This was a really fun chapter for me to write, and I actually went back and changed a few things too. A lot of the time I'm actually several chapters ahead in the writing process and based on some of the feedback I've received, I thought it would be fun to add some new things in. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Happy belated Halloween.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Asteria drove to Natalie's in a daze. She wasn't really sure how she managed to get there without taking out a few mailboxes; she was parking in Natalie's driveway with no memory of the ride over. Grabbing her things from the backseat, she all but flew into the house.

"Sorry, sorry," Asteria called up the stairs as she closed the front door behind her.

"Just get up here, loser," Natalie yelled from her bedroom.

Rolling her eyes, Asteria carried her bag up the stairs and threw it on Natalie's bed. Rachael was changing in the corner, and Natalie was already working on her makeup. Rachael had picked out a long black dress that flowed down to her ankles, and Natalie was wearing a short skirt with leggings paired with a sweater.

"Aren't you going to freeze in that? I thought you wanted to be warm," Asteria asked her.

"There's going to be a fire anyway. Might as well look the part," Natalie said with a grin.

Asteria rolled her eyes dramatically and threw a spare pillow at the back of Natalie's head. Her own outfit was a pair of leather leggings, her trusty ankle boots, and a cute sweater with an open lace design in the back. Everything was all black, of course. She wasn't sure if the ensemble seemed witchy enough, but it definitely looked like she was up to no good.

"Niiiiice," Rachael commented while applying her eyeliner. "I picked up cloaks and hats for us so we could all match. It's going to look great."

"I just want to have fun tonight," Asteria said before the doorbell rang. "Shit! I forgot Charlie was coming over to check on us!"

Asteria rushed around, throwing on sleep pants over her tight leggings and a hoodie before racing down the steps to get the door.

"Hey Charlie," she said as he stood there in his uniform.

"Hey kiddo, where are the other girls," he asked.

"They're upstairs still. We were putting on some face masks, it's kind of messy," Asteria said quickly.

"Oh, are the Greenes home," Charlie asked.

"Natalie's parents are going to some Halloween bonfire for a while, but they shouldn't be out too late. Really, we're just going to stick the bowl of candy outside the door so we don't need to answer it and stay in her room watching movies the whole night," Asteria said. "We won't even answer the door."

"Alright, as long as you girls are safe. Let me know if you need anything," Charlie said.

"Okay, bye Charlie. Have a good night," Asteria said as she shut the door.

"That was so close," Natalie laughed from the top of the stairs. "Great improvising, by the way."

Asteria bowed playfully. "Here for all your improv needs."

The girls set out a bowl full of chocolate and set the porch light on before strategically leaving all the lights in Natalie's room on with the tv playing. If Charlie happened to do a drive by, he'd find the door locked and a solid alibi.

It wasn't long after Asteria was done with her more dramatic makeup that the boys showed up. Not wanting to waste time, everyone climbed into the back of Damien's car as soon as it came to a stop and they were off.

"Ghostbusters, really," Rachael laughed as she got a look at Matt and Damien's costumes. "Which one are you Damien, Bill Murray or Dan Aykroyd?"

The rest of the ride passed with loud music and playful banter. It was almost enough to put Asteria in a good mood if she could just forget Brigid's words. A chill ran up her spine every time she thought about it and it made the night feel much more ominous.

They pulled up to the little two story house outside Hoquiam just at sunset. The long gravel drive was overrun with cars and they ended up parking in the yard. It was an absolute mess of teenagers already. The front door was open and the beginnings of a fire pit could be seen around the back of the house.

Asteria barely had her feet on the ground when she cracked open the bottle of whiskey and took a sip.

"Someone's eager to get going," Matt said with a grin. "Did you have parties like this back in Wisconsin?"

"Sort of. We had corn parties," Asteria said. "When the corn grew high enough you'd sneak out in the field, make a sort of crop circle, and everyone would go out and have fun."

"There's no corn here, but there's a sexy looking scarecrow over there," Rachael said while nodding towards the backyard where a boy who looked old enough to be in college stood in overalls. She grabbed Asteria's hand and dragged her around to the backyard with the rest of them following.

At least Natalie had been right about their costumes being warm. The cloak Rachael gave her was real wool and super thick. They found a log close to the fire and took a seat while looking around. Most of the kids were people she didn't know, she guessed they were from Hoquiam. There were a few kids she recognized from Forks, but for the most part it was just a mass of people.

Someone must have just set up the speaker system as music started blaring and people cheered. She recognized the song "Play With Fire" by Sam Tinnesz. The sun finally sank behind the horizon and lanterns were lit around them. Natalie pulled out a few of her own and explained it was a tradition. It 'made the whole thing spookier' as she explained.

Several hours in, Asteria was _drunk._ Drinking whiskey straight out of the bottle will do that to a person, though. She was swaying to the music and dancing with Rachael while attempting to not fall over.

"Mind if I cut in," a guy asked after tapping Asteria's shoulder. He was dressed as a gladiator and seemed fairly handsome under his costume, so Asteria shrugged and turned to talk with him. "So, are you a real witch?"

"Sure am. Why, afraid of getting cursed," Asteria asked while raising an eyebrow. If this was his attempt at being flirty, he failed. Miserably. He didn't even detect the sarcasm in her tone.

Several minutes of talking to Brad later, she decided he wasn't the conversationalist she was hoping for. Excusing herself, Asteria cut through the trees around the backyard to get back to her friends. While surrounded by the trees, Asteria realized the party wasn't really where she wanted to go after all. Maybe it was the whiskey calling the shots, after all she had drunk a good portion of the bottle, but she decided a moonlit stroll was in order.

Holding her lantern out in front of her as if the small candle would actually illuminate the area, Asteria wobbled out into the woods. Somewhere nearby she could hear someone making out and she wrinkled her nose as she went further. Her goal was to get as far away as possible from the nonsense behind her.

She didn't find a decent clear area to look up at the sky, but she at least found a patch of rocks she could sit on comfortably. Asteria lied down across the rock and shut her eyes while she tried to think.

Vampires. Vampires were real. There was no way she could discount Brigid; she knew deep in her soul that it was the truth, and that's what made it all so unnerving. Brigid described them as pale, beautiful creatures that looked far too close to humans and had super strength and speed.

As Asteria lie there, she thought about how… _pale_ the Cullens were. They all certainly fit the description of "beautiful". Emmett threw a remote so hard it shattered through that picture and dented the wall. They always seemed to get to class before her despite her massive head start. They were never seen in the sunlight. And the most damning evidence was Asteria's own intuition as she counted all the times she could tell they were lying about things.

The pieces clicked together far too fast for her sluggish, drunken mind to comprehend. She sat up with a gasp and struggled to control her breathing as a panic attack started building up. The Cullens were vampires. She knew it. They were vampires, and it could mean nothing good for her.

The bigger question was if they realized she was a witch. A large part of Asteria believed they did, why else would they be so interested in her? Were they planning on making her a main course?

Suddenly uncomfortable with sitting alone in the dark woods, Asteria stumbled back to the party as fast as she could. The unsettling feeling reminded her of her last run through the woods with the white blur lurking in the treetops. Belatedly, Asteria realized exactly what it had been. She wasn't sure which Cullen it was, but there had definitely been a vampire hiding in the treetops above her, watching her.

She moved faster through the woods, tripping over her own feet several times. Asteria was sure the palms of her hands were bleeding. It felt like she was going in circles and her head was spinning. She tried to concentrate on the noise from the party but it all seemed turned around in her drunk mind.

Asteria eventually sank to the ground and took a few deep breaths to get rid of the spinning feeling. It helped clear up her faint hysteria as well. She closed her eyes for a second and when she opened them, she could have sworn she saw a person in the distance. Whoever it was dressed in dark colors and seemed eerily lit by the moonlight, but they strangely comforted her.

"Hey," Asteria called out. The figure turned and disappeared into the shadows. Asteria begrudgingly climbed up to stagger after them. After several minutes of trudging by herself, she realized no one else was out in the woods; at least, no one like she had seen. Just as she was about to give up hope or fall deeper down the rabbit hole of insanity, she caught the light of the bonfire through some of the trees.

Asteria must have looked rattled when she came back. Someone gave her a weird look which she ignored as she went to stand off to the side of the party; close enough to be safe from the shadows of the woods, but far enough away that she wasn't too involved in the mayhem.

"Hey," Damien yelled as he saw her. "We've been looking everywhere for you! Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Asteria said unconvincingly.

"Rachael said you were talking to some guy and just disappeared and we couldn't find you. Are you sure you're okay, you look like you're freezing," he said.

"I'm a little cold, I should go sit by the fire," she said as he helped her to sit closer to the bonfire.

"What happened," Rachael yelled when she saw them.

"I just snuck into the woods to pee and got a little turned around," Asteria said. She hoped it was enough to convince them; she was way past the point of being able to process things.

"We're probably going to go soon anyway. My parents will be home by one and we need to beat them back," Natalie said.

The ride home was just as lively as the ride there. Thankfully Matt did not throw up in the car. Asteria sat in the rear passenger seat and leaned her head against the cold glass. Despite how cold she felt the smooth glass felt reassuring to her.

They beat Natalie's parents home by all of ten minutes. Natalie raced around trying to pick up and even threw an empty pizza box onto the coffee table to make it look like they'd been there the whole night. The girls took off their makeup in record time and sat upstairs in pajamas with ten different scented candles to hide the smell of booze.

Natalie's mom poked her head in to say good night and the girls finally started a movie. It ended up being some cheesy B-rated movie about ghost sharks which suited Asteria fine. She'd had enough of monsters for the night.

The morning dawned with an absolutely brutal hangover for Asteria. Natalie's mom made them a pancake breakfast that they carried back up to her bedroom. Rachael and Asteria each took theirs with a side of Advil, but Natalie was annoyingly cheerful and well rested. She was gracious enough to put Irish cream in their coffee though, so it was hard to be too annoyed.

The rest of the morning was spent lying around Natalie's bedroom while watching old reruns as they recovered enough to go home. It took an enormous amount of willpower for Asteria to pack her things up and put on actual clothes.

Once home, she had a nice long shower and then did her laundry so there'd be no chance of Charlie catching on to last night's antics. Right on cue, he came home from his fishing trip with Billy Black.

"Hey Asteria, how was the sleepover," he asked as he came in the door.

"It was fun, thanks Charlie. Did you have a good time at Billy's," she asked.

"Couldn't get a single bite today. Looks like no fish for dinner tonight," he replied.

"Aw man," Asteria said with mock disappointment. "I'm crushed."

He chuckled and ruffled her hair as he passed by her to get to the kitchen. As Asteria watched him pass she was filled with regret. Charlie was such a good man; he didn't deserve to have Asteria thrown into his life. She was a hurricane of teenage angst, bad life choices, and surreal, supernatural problems no one should ever have to deal with. She hoped he never had to know.

"Something wrong," he asked her. Asteria hadn't realized he had caught her expression.

"No, I was just thinking," Asteria said while shaking her thoughts. "Actually…neither of us are particularly sentimental people, but I just wanted to say thanks. You know, for...everything."

Her awkward statement was met by an equally awkward silence. Seconds ticked by slowly. Asteria was hoping there was a spell to make the floor swallow her whole.

"You're welcome, kiddo. Anytime you need me, I'm here," Charlie replied. His voice was gruff, and Asteria thought she could detect the deep emotion in it.

"Thanks, Charlie," Asteria replied with a smile. She quickly went up the stairs to her room. If anything, his statement made her feel guiltier, but she deeply appreciated him. Charlie Swan was a blessing.

With nothing else to do at two in the afternoon, Asteria lit her candle and sat on her bed with the book of shadows and continued reading Brigid's section. She had finally blossomed into a full witch and now her entries were interspersed with different spells. She had continued Eveline's obsession with herbs and added on her own ideas.

The Civil War was a heavy influence in Brigid's life. Being in the border state of Kentucky, life was dangerous. Brigid told of families being torn apart for one side or another before the Confederacy attempted to take the state. By 1862 the state legislature asked the Union Army to step in, and so they joined the North.

Brigid was pregnant at the time, and gave birth to a baby girl named Ailis that she talked about endearingly. She became a nurse of sorts while her husband fought in the war and described the injured Union soldiers she would treat in her sitting room. The whole thing was jarring to read; Brigid was eighteen at the time, barely older than Asteria, and was thrown into the middle of a country at war with itself.

Brigid, between her time helping the Union cause, often strayed back to the topic of vampires. It had become an obsession of sorts, as she tried to pin down any information about them. She was still searching for the blonde vampire that took her mother, but could never find anything. In 1864, towards the end of war, she happened across a female vampire in the woods and used her gift to destroy the creature but was otherwise out of luck. It did seem, however, that her gift was a sort of beacon for them. She determined they were attracted to the magic in her veins.

The smell of smoke drifted into her room, followed shortly by the fire alarm going off. Asteria jumped out of bed and raced down the stairs to find Charlie putting a pan into the sink as smoke filled the kitchen.

"Sorry, kiddo. I thought I'd try to make dinner for us tonight and it didn't turn out so well," Charlie said while coughing. Asteria could see the ingredients for hamburgers spread across the counter.

"It's harder than it looks," she replied with a grin. "Maybe we should just go to the diner for dinner?"

Her suggestion made Charlie smile as well; when Asteria had learned that most of the chief's meals had come from the diner, she had taken over a lot of the cooking. While he still went regularly for lunch, it was a nice treat to go during the dinnertime crowd, especially with Asteria. She wasn't typically a fan of the talkative older citizens of the town and avoided it like the plague.

Checking to make sure she didn't look like a total wreck, Asteria smiled to herself in the mirror. Maybe it was time to start getting closer to Charlie. The ride in the police cruiser was comfortably silent and before they knew it they were already at the diner.

"Charlie, Asteria," Billy's voice called to them from a few tables away where he sat with his son Jacob. Charlie made his way over and Asteria trailed behind. She didn't mind Billy so much; he joked around with Charlie enough to make it entertaining. "What are you two doing here?"

"Charlie tried to make dinner," Asteria said with a grin. She almost felt bad for outing Charlie when he had tried to do a nice thing, but it was so much fun to give Billy ammunition.

"Did the fire department show up, or were you able to put it out yourself," Billy asked with a laugh.

"It wasn't that bad," Charlie defended himself. "Better than when you tried to help at Harry's fish fry."

Asteria and Charlie eventually joined them at the table and a waitress took their order. Dinner was much livelier than Asteria expected, and fun even. The two men dominated the conversation, but Jacob was able to get in a quick jab or two. He was younger than Asteria by a few years, but just tolerable to make up for it.

"So Asteria how was your Halloween," Billy asked as they were finishing up. "You're too old to trick or treat. Egg anyone's house?"

"I tend to avoid getting into trouble. I like the view in the cruiser from the passenger seat, not the back," Asteria joked. "I had a sleepover with a few friends, keeping it boring and safe. There's not much else to do around here anyway."

"That's not true, didn't the Cullens invite you to some party they were having," Charlie asked her.

"The Cullens," Billy asked sharply. "You talk to them a lot?"

"Billy," Charlie interjected with a tired tone. "They're friends. Please don't start this up again."

"We're not really friends, actually," Asteria cut them off. Whatever argument was about to happen put her on edge and she just wanted to diffuse the situation. "We share a few classes and they wanted to invite me over, but that's it."

"I thought you liked the Cullens," Charlie asked. "You went over to their house to work on homework this week."

"It was just a project with Alice. One time thing," Asteria said.

"Good. You should keep it that way. That family is trouble," Billy said while giving her a piercing look.

"Dad, come on," Jacob sighed. "We're having dinner."

The conversation switched subjects a few times, but never lost that weird edge. Asteria felt bad she had unknowingly brought up some old fight between Charlie and Billy.

"What was that whole thing about with the Cullens," Asteria asked as they got in the cruiser.

"It's nothing, just a bunch of stubborn old men on the reservation. When the Cullens first moved here they started refusing to go to the hospital here in town. They have some old superstition," Charlie said.

"What superstition," Asteria asked, but she already knew. She wasn't sure how the Quileutes knew, but they must. What else could it be about?

"It doesn't matter. Dr. Cullen and his family are good people. The kids never cause any problems, and he's done a lot for this community. The people in this town should be grateful his wife wanted to live here," Charlie grumbled. Asteria guessed this was partly about the Quileutes' boycott and partly about the rampant gossip she knew surrounded the family here in town.

Asteria sensed it was a sore subject and let it go, although she still had a few questions rolling around her head. More importantly, she was wondering if there was a way to gently guide Charlie towards the impression that he needed to stay away from the Cullens as well. He seemed to think highly of Dr. Cullen and that worried her.

"Do you mind if we stop by the store real quick," Charlie asked her as they turned down the street for it. "I have a few things I need to pick up."

"No, that's fine," Asteria said. "I think I'm out of toothpaste, and we can just pick up a few groceries now so I won't have to do it later."

Asteria grabbed one of the small red baskets when they got inside and split up from Charlie to make shopping easier. She went for her toothpaste first and took a shortcut through the alcohol aisle. Obviously she couldn't buy anything there, but it reminded her that she only had half a bottle of whiskey left. She had paused to look at a decorative bottle of rum near the end of the aisle when someone called her name.

"Asteria," Esme said warmly while pushing her cart closer to her.

Asteria literally jumped at the noise and she was sure her face grew pale when she saw who it was. "Hello, Mrs. Cullen."

Esme smiled sadly at the words. "It's still Esme, dear. I heard about your argument, but I wanted to let you know you're still welcome at any point in time. We'd be glad to have you over. I hope you're doing well."

"I'm fine thank you," Asteria said as formally as she could. "I was just shopping with Charlie, I should go find him. Have a good night, Mrs. Cullen." With that, Asteria moved past the other woman and walked away as quickly as she could.

She eventually found Charlie picking out his own toiletries. "You didn't get anything?"

"No, I can't remember what I needed, so I'll just pick everything up later," Asteria said with as much ease as she could force out.

"If you're sure," he said with a shrug. Asteria all but herded him to the checkout lane and out of the store. She was doing her best to avoid another awkward run-in.

At home, Asteria waited all of twenty minutes before saying good night to Charlie and sneaking out the window with the remnants of her whiskey. Old habits die hard. She did wonder what to do next though; she wasn't willing to go into the woods on the likely chance that the Cullens were there, and she didn't exactly want to get caught.

Looking to her right, Asteria realized that the house two doors down stood empty. As long as she was quiet, she could sneak around to their backyard and sit there behind the fence with no one the wiser. It seemed like a better idea than being a sitting duck in the woods. At least if she screamed someone would be able to find her.

She drank straight from the bottle again, letting it burn all the way down. Asteria was making good progress on it when she felt that familiar sensation of being watched. There was a Cullen out there, she knew it. Holding onto her pendant for good luck, she quickly drank as much whiskey as she could in one go before standing.

"I know you're out there," she said quietly, sounding much braver than she felt. "You might as well show yourself, get it over with."

Her words were met with nothing but silence. Asteria sighed and threw the nearly empty bottle on the ground. "Come on, Alice!"

The delicate form of Alice Cullen came out through the trees, with Jasper following silently after. Asteria straightened up to make herself as tall as possible and looked at them with her head held high.

"So, what now," Asteria asked.

"Asteria, you've been drinking-," Alice started out.

"And you've been lying," Asteria said as loudly as she dared. "And following me, and what else? Just planning the right time to kill me?"

"No, of course not! If you would just-,"

"That's what you do though, isn't it? You kill. Your kind killed my family," Asteria said. She felt the buildup of power through her veins, felt the energy pouring into her from the ground. She welcomed it and encouraged more to follow until her hands were shaking uncontrollably. Asteria made no attempt to rein it in and let the surge of raw power course over her.

"Please, just listen! We don't mean you any harm," Alice said. Despite everything, Asteria could hear the truth in her words and the deep sadness underneath them. "I never meant to scare you, and we're just trying to help."

The damage was done and Asteria's face paled; her hands were shaking worse than ever and she knew she couldn't contain what was about to happen.

"Don't," she shouted to Alice as the other girl took a step toward her in concern. "I can't control this anymore. It's not safe, you have to go."

Jasper grabbed onto Alice's arm and tugged her back as Asteria's eyes shut. She could see the flames erupt from behind her closed lids and felt her own body go limp before she knew nothing but blackness.


	13. The New AA: Supernatural Anonymous

A/N: Hello again everyone! So sorry (not actually sorry) about the cliffhanger. It was a ton of fun to write. Thank you once again for reading, following, and reviewing. I will say it every time because you guys are absolutely amazing! I always look forward to new reviews so I can see how you guys are reacting to the story and it's so incredibly wonderful to see how much you guys enjoy reading it. You're all awesome. Go have a good day guys, treat yourselves to something nice.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx

Everything hurt. It hurt so much that Asteria did her best to go back to the dreamless dark she had been in. At least there she couldn't feel anything. Unfortunately she was aware of someone poking around her, pressing a finger to her pulse, shining a light in each eye. It was ridiculously annoying. Couldn't they tell she was in pain?

Whoever it was stopped, and it allowed Asteria to fall back into a deeper sleep. This time, however, she dreamed.

Humid July air. Plastic cups scattered across the ground. The bass thumping in the background as bodies swayed with it. Asteria knew what was happening by now; she looked towards the woods in search of Brigid, but couldn't find her. A voice yelled in the background to hop the fence.

A hand suddenly gripped her wrist. She tried to pull away, but it was so strong this time. Ryan was smiling and saying something she couldn't hear. They hopped the fence together and went behind the shed. There were more words, she saw his mouth moving. No sound came out. A scream filled the night air-

"Asteria, Asteria," a pair of cold hands gently gripped her shoulders. Her heart pounded in her chest as she realized she was the one that had screamed.

"You're alright now," Dr. Cullen said. "Just focus on breathing, that's it."

"There was a fire," she said shakily.

"Yes, Jasper and Alice were able to put it out without anyone noticing. It's alright now," Dr. Cullen replied calmly. It took her a second to realize they were discussing two different events. Memories of the second fire flooded into her mind. Her losing control, Alice begging her to listen, the Cullens were vampires…

Asteria jumped back from Dr. Cullen as the shock ran through her. "What happened, what am I doing here?"

"You passed out, I'm afraid. Using your gift took a lot out of you," Dr. Cullen said calmly. "Jasper and Alice handled the fire and then brought you here."

"I don't understand, you're…," Asteria trailed off.

"Vampires, it's alright," Dr. Cullen finished for her kindly. She could see just a bit of tension at the corner of his eyes, though. "Our family has a different way of surviving. We hunt animals instead."

"Vampires," Asteria said while rubbing her forehead. Her body still ached all over, but nothing hurt more than the migraine she could feel growing. Dr. Cullen handed her some aspirin that she took immediately with a glass of water.

"I'm sorry that it's a lot to take in," Dr. Cullen said.

"But why, if you don't harm humans, has your family been so interested in me," Asteria asked awkwardly. It was a weird question, and badly phrased, but she wanted to know.

Dr. Cullen sighed. "That was more of Alice's doing. Some vampires have a special ability. Alice, for instance, is able to see the future. Jasper and Edward have similar talents as well." The doctor paused for some reason and stared off at the wall for a second before shaking his head and sighing again.

Alice entered the room looking slightly remorseful. "When we first met you, I couldn't see you properly at all. If I focused hard enough I could get a blurry image, but nothing more. I wanted to know why, and it's because you have a gift as well. Although, I've never seen two unrelated gifts together."

Asteria looked at her confused. "What do you mean, 'two unrelated gifts'?"

"You've been able to block our gifts, as well as create fire. It's highly unlikely for a human to have any latent power at all; most vampires only receive them after they've been turned, and now you have several strong enough," Alice said.

Asteria gave her a look. "You don't know what I am, do you?"

"What do you mean," Dr. Cullen asked.

Asteria took a deep breath. "I'm a witch."

"That's not possible," Dr. Cullen said. "There hasn't been an actual witch in centuries, if not millennia, and that's only if you give credit to old accounts of them-,"

Asteria took a deep breath before taking off her necklace. She had guessed while he was talking that the protection spell on her pendant was what kept them from being able to use their gifts on her. Setting it on the end table next to her, she heard Alice gasp loudly.

"I can see you so much clearer," Alice exclaimed. "But how is that possible?"

Surprisingly enough, Edward made an appearance into the room. He had always avoided Asteria like the plague, and she had never liked him enough to miss his moody presence. He was like if Holden Caulfield grew up and labeled himself an "intellectual" at dinner parties.

He snorted. "Hardly. That was never one of my favorite books," he said while looking at her.

She narrowed her eyes at him. He can't know what I'm thinking?

Edward nodded to her. "I can, actually."

Wordlessly Asteria grabbed her necklace off the end table and secured it back in place. "My statement stands."

"The necklace has some sort of power to it that shields her from our talents," Edward clarified for Dr. Cullen, and the rest of the Cullens that had grouped around. He glanced back at Asteria. "At least, for the most part; it's like it provides some sort of interference. Every now and then one of us can get past it, but not for long. It was driving me mad. How did you get it?"

"It's enchanted," Asteria sighed. "An old family heirloom."

"You come from a family of witches," Dr. Cullen asked.

"A very long line, yes," Asteria replied. She didn't like the amount of interest they were showing in the topic.

"I'm sure we have a lot to talk about, but maybe you should have some breakfast first," Esme said.

"Breakfast? What time is it," Asteria asked.

"It's a little after seven in the morning," Dr. Cullen responded.

"Oh hell," Asteria said. "Charlie-,"

"Never even knew you were gone. He left for the station an hour ago. We made it look like you were in bed sleeping still," Alice said.

"Thank you," Asteria said while wondering just what they did to accomplish that.

She took a quick shower before changing into some clothes Alice left sitting out for her. At least she didn't look quite like death, although if death looked like the Cullens she might wish she did. Asteria went down the stairs hesitantly; she had never had a one night stand, but imagined the 'morning after' feeling was similar.

Esme was in the kitchen already plating up a huge stack of pancakes. Carlisle was leaning against the kitchen counter deep in thought. The others were nowhere to be seen. That suited Asteria just fine; she wasn't looking for an audience.

"Thank you, Esme. It looks delicious," Asteria said while sitting down on a stool.

"It's 'Esme' again, is it," Esme asked her.

There was an awkward pause. "Sorry," Asteria said without making eye contact. "It, uh-,"

"You can relax," Carlisle said with a chuckle. "I believe my dear wife is teasing you."

Asteria let out a breathy laugh. "I suppose I deserve that," she said while looking up at Esme's grin.

"I'm very glad you're back, dear," Esme said.

"It's nice to be back," Asteria said. She hadn't given it much thought before she said the words and the truth of the statement caught her off guard. Maybe it was just finally being able to get her secret out in the open.

Breakfast was a mostly silent affair but Esme and Carlisle were at least good company. Carlisle kept to himself scribbling notes in a small journal while Esme hummed to herself and took her time cleaning up the dishes. Asteria guessed she wasn't used to having them out much.

Once Asteria had eaten, Carlisle suggested they go into the living room to discuss things. It was only mildly disconcerting to see everyone else already waiting like they were expecting them. She noticed a little bit of tension, but couldn't pinpoint exactly what the source was.

"I'm sure we have plenty to talk about, but it would be easier to find a place to start," Carlisle said with a weary sigh. His gaze flicked to Edward who nodded at something unspoken.

"Would it be more or less awkward to start with the tension in the room," Asteria asked. She figured it was better to point it out and get it over with.

"There are concerns, you understand," Carlisle started out apologetically. "Our kind have rules in place to protect us. A human learning our secret is a security risk."

"Not to mention it puts the family in a tough position," Rosalie said. It wasn't quite said with malice, but she definitely didn't look happy. Asteria's eyebrow rose before she turned back to Carlisle.

"There is a coven of vampires, considered our government or royalty, and they enforce our law. If they were to discover you know our secret it would endanger both our family and yourself," Carlisle explained uneasily.

"That argument is nonexistent," Alice shot back. "Asteria is a witch. Her secret is just as great as ours. I see no reason for that to be an issue."

"That might cause a whole different set of issues with the Volturi though," Edward responded. "Aro has always taken a special interest in the unique."

"They won't find out," Alice stated confidently.

"You'd better hope they don't," Rosalie said. "You're the one that put her in danger in the first place. We told you it wasn't a good idea, but you never listen to anyone."

"Enough," Esme said while giving them each a firm look.

"It's alright, I understand," Asteria said. "My family has an unhappy history dealing with vampires. I imagine I'd be in danger no matter what."

"You've known about vampires this whole time," Alice asked with her brows furrowed.

"Not exactly," Asteria responded. "My family has a journal they've passed down for generations. I started reading it recently and read an entry about vampires."

"So that's how you found out," Jasper nodded along.

"Yes, although being spied on from the treetops definitely added to it," Asteria said dryly.

"I told you she saw you," Rosalie glared at Alice.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," Alice said. "I was just worried, and it's so frustrating not being able to see your future clearly. It's like spotty reception on a TV. I was just checking that you were safe. It's a really bad idea to be wandering around at night like that."

"Yeah, there might be monsters in the shadows," Emmett joked. "Luckily it's just been Alice, nothing terrifying."

Asteria rolled her eyes. "At least Alice was able to lurk in the shadows. I'd be surprised if you were able to sneak up on anyone." Jasper snickered while Alice stuck her tongue out at Emmett.

"Getting back to the point," Carlisle said while casting a look around at his side tracked family. "What's done is done. Asteria knows now, and we can all agree it's in everyone's best interest to keep it to ourselves."

There were several nods and a chorus of responses in agreement before it was like ice melting in the room. The serious air of the conversation was over.

"So, do you ride around on a broom," Emmett asked with fake seriousness.

Asteria had half a mind to tell him the origin of that particular rumor but decided against it at the last second to save herself some embarrassment. "You know, I used to but it was awful for my hair. Same with the conical hat."

"What exactly can you do," Edward asked.

"Magic is essentially energy with intent. Once you're able to manipulate the energy it's not hard to influence it one way or another," Asteria responded vaguely. She wasn't used to discussing magical matters and it made her hesitant.

"What do you mean by that," Alice asked.

"Things like spells, for example. Meaning is assigned to specific herbs, or colors or stones, and you can use that to focus and drive the intent of a spell," Asteria said.

"So you cast actual spells," Jasper asked. It was the most he had ever seemed interested in conversation with her, but she supposed everyone was listening intently. This was probably the most entertainment they had had in years.

"Sometimes. I don't do it very often," Asteria replied.

"Why not," Esme asked.

"I haven't been practicing for very long. In fact I'm not even sure I really want to," Asteria said. She could already feel the next question coming on and beat them to it. "I've known I was a witch for a couple of years now but didn't act on it. They say ignoring your power can sometimes make it fizzle out, and that's what I had preferred to do. Of course, sometimes it can make it harder to control too."

"You're having a hard time controlling it now," Carlisle guessed accurately.

"I was doing okay for a long time," Asteria defended herself. "It started acting up lately."

"We could help you practice it," Alice suggested excitedly. "I've learned to control my gift, and Jasper and Edward as well."

"I'm not sure about that," Asteria said. "Exactly how much experience do you have casting spells?"

"Well maybe not with that, but you've controlled objects before; you made Madison's drink explode. And you started that fire-,"

"No," Asteria cut her off more forcefully than she meant to. She noticed Jasper give her a startled look and reined it in a bit. "That's not something I'd like to repeat."

"But why," Alice argued. "It's -,"

"Alice," Jasper cut her off while shaking his head. He wrapped an arm around her.

"If there's any way we can help, we of course will," Esme said kindly while trying not to overstep.

"Thank you," Asteria said. "It's really not much, I've just been reading and studying."

"Your family's journal, you said earlier," Carlisle asked. "Would that be your book of shadows?"

"Someone knows a thing or two," Asteria commented.

"I've read some of the lore," Carlisle said. "Of course, there's so much misinformation. Astrology, palm reading…I'm sure there's plenty I've read that's false."

"Oh no, palm reading is accurate," Asteria said.

Emmett laughed. "You're joking. There's no way you can read my future from my palm."

"You don't look at someone's 'heart line' and tell them their love life," Asteria said while rolling her eyes. "That's a bunch of nonsense. Palmistry isn't about predicting the future, it's about finding a person's character. The lines aren't really important; it's the runes they make that matter."

"Read my palm," Emmett said as he stuck his hand out lightning fast in front of her. The action startled Asteria; she wasn't used to vampire speed quite yet. Esme scolded him but Asteria was quick to laugh it off. It was hard to be upset when Emmett acted like a toddler.

"I don't know all the runes off the top of my head. It's just something I've seen in passing in the book. Maybe one day I'll bring it over and be able to," Asteria said. Carlisle wouldn't admit it, but she had a feeling he was hoping to take a look at it.

Asteria was very protective of her book of shadows. It was an important secret, and more importantly it was a direct line to her family. If anything ever happened to it there would be a murder. Not a gentle murder either; someone's skull was going to be used as a decorative vase. She was not keen on taking the book anywhere unprotected.

"You mentioned casting a spell or two," Esme said. "What sort of spell?"

"Just little spells here or there. General things like protection or luck," Asteria responded. "It was really just to experiment."

"Do you think they worked," Carlisle asked.

Asteria thought back to the protection spell she had made with the candle and realized with a start that she hadn't had any nightmares while the candle burned. "I suppose they did, at least the protection one did anyway."

"Really? How could you tell," Esme asked.

"Uh," Asteria stalled. She really didn't want to get into her sleeping issues with them. "I can't really explain how, it was just a feeling."

Their chat continued on until almost noon when Esme asked if Asteria wanted some lunch. Belatedly, Asteria realized she really needed to get home before Charlie found out she hadn't slept there for the night.

"I'll take you home, if that's alright with you," Alice asked her a little sheepishly.

"Yeah," Asteria replied awkwardly. "Fine by me."

The car ride was mostly silent right up until they left the Cullens' long, winding driveway. It was so awkward that Asteria had to play with the car stereo to distract from the thick tension in the car. She finally found a station playing "Perfect Places" by Lorde before the tires hit solid road and Alice broke their stalemate.

"I want to apologize," Alice started out. "I know there's a lot to apologize for, but I wanted to start with the way I've been treating you. Please let me explain?"

Asteria was quiet for a moment. So long, in fact, that Alice had to glance over at her. "Okay," she finally replied.

"It's just, ever since you started school here, I felt this weird feeling we were going to be friends, like we were connected," Alice started. "It wasn't like a premonition, I just saw you and it felt familiar. Like it was going to be natural. Then I saw how much you were struggling with things and how much you drink and I just wanted to step in. It's so dangerous, and I know it's how you've been coping but it's really dangerous. I just wanted to help. I realize now that I've overstepped greatly. I'm sorry that I've handled this so poorly and made you upset."

Asteria nodded while looking out the window and trying to find some words of her own. "I guess I should apologize as well. I really suck at these things, so please bear with me," she said. "I know that the things I do are bad for me. I went through so much so fast, and it felt like there was no one that could understand so I just bottled it up. Drinking made me feel free from all of that. I didn't have to feel bad, I didn't have to feel the constant pressure of energy around me from being a witch, I didn't have to focus on all the bad things that have happened. I know it was unstable and harmful, but it was the only way I knew how to tread water. Then you all came in and flipped everything upside down. Do you know how terrifying that is?"

"I'm so sorry," Alice said with real sympathy. "I wish you didn't have to go through that. I'm not sure if it helps, but I do get it. When I was…changed, I woke up into this new world with no knowledge of who I was or what had happened. I only knew my name was Alice, and from a vision I knew I was supposed to meet Jasper. Other than that I was terribly alone and trying to understand being a vampire and having visions of the future."

Asteria felt a new understanding for Alice. "You have no idea who you used to be?"

"None," Alice said. "It's alright, though. I'm happy with who I am now. I'm happy to be a part of this family, to love Jasper. I can't imagine living any other life before this one."

Asteria nodded while lost in thought. Forgetting everything in the past didn't seem like such a bad idea to her.

"I know there's no way to compare between our pasts, but I do believe you will find a way through this," Alice told her. "If you're this strong now with everything you're fighting through, just imagine how unstoppable you'll be when you rise above it."

Asteria grinned a bit at the thought. "What's that saying? 'Whatever doesn't kill me had better start running'?"

"That's the spirit," Alice said brightly as she pulled into Asteria's driveway. "I'll see you at school tomorrow?"

"If I see you I probably won't ignore you," Asteria said before grinning and slamming the car door shut behind her.


	14. Fake Spiders and Real Snakes

A/N: Hey everyone! As always, thanks for reading, following, or posting a review. You guys are my life blood and keep me going. As a side note, I thought I'd let you all get to know me a little and I really want to share some things. So, I work at a grocery store: cashier, customer service, and the floral department. Sometimes I get bored, which usually means I get into trouble. The other day I maybe, sort of, played too many pranks. A customer returned some leeks so I put them by the main door and then paged our custodian that we had a leak by the door again. Turns out, he's not a fan of puns. I may have also tied a fake mouse on a string to the door knob of the office so when people opened the door they got a fun surprise flying out from under a desk. But, ya know, they frown on those sorts of things. Anyway, important lesson learned: do not pull pranks at work when the head boss is there. (I'm not in trouble, by the way. Just a friendly warning.)

So yeah, Asteria and the Cullens are now on more even footing. I'm very excited on where to go from here! I hope you all enjoy this chapter!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The sound of Asteria's alarm going off genuinely threw her for a bit as her groggy mind tried to comprehend the sound. She had successfully slept through the night with no dreams and it felt magical. Too magical, in fact. The white candle had long since blown out in the night, but she remembered the flame flickering as she had drifted off. Maybe the spell was working after all.

She got dressed and did her makeup in a hurry; waking up 'on time' had actually made her late. Asteria was used to her irregular pattern giving her plenty of time which meant that she hurried out to the car with one arm hanging out of her coat and mismatched socks. At least the rest of her looked okay: messy bun, thick sweater, and smoky eyed makeup caused by smudging yesterday's eyeliner that she forgot to take off the night before.

Asteria still had time to hookup her phone to the stereo and barreled into the parking lot with Elle King's "Good Girls" blaring. She saw Rosalie raise an eyebrow as she pulled into her spot and hit the Camaro's brakes a little roughly. Part of the fun of having a good car was driving like you had places to be though, so Asteria shrugged it off.

"Running late this morning," Emmett asked her with a grin.

"Not anymore, actually," Asteria said. "Perks of having the town's police chief as an uncle. Who would ever give me a ticket?"

Emmett shook his head with a chuckle. "Whatever you say, Speed Racer."

"Ooh, that was dated. Did you have to brush the dust off of that reference before you used it," Asteria asked while adjusting her backpack. She started walking to class and wasn't surprised to see the Cullens moving with her.

"Does this mean we're in for a bunch of unoriginal jokes about our age," Emmett asked.

"I mean, I'm sure a lot of them are going to sound unoriginal. Once you reach a certain age you've pretty much heard it all," Asteria responded. They were going to make this entirely too easy.

Rosalie rolled her eyes. "Leave me out of it."

"Of course," Asteria said with a grin. "But somebody has to take Emmett down a peg. How have the rest of you survived this whole time?"

"Edward's fairly good at giving anyone a reality check," Emmett replied.

Asteria gasped and clutched her chest. "Edward? A sense of humor? No, it couldn't be true."

"Never let him know I told you," Rosalie said with a small quirk to her lips. "But he's not completely awful. He's normally not so distant from the rest of us, but your necklace was driving him crazy so he couldn't stand to be around you. He's normally so perfect and not being able to use his gift or know why unnerved him. Since we chose to spend so much time around you, it made him spend less with us."

By the time Rosalie had finished, she had a bit of a smile. "You know," Asteria started, "if I didn't know better, I'd say you didn't mind that quite so much."

"Edward and I don't always see eye to eye on a lot of different things," Rosalie said diplomatically.

"You've been using me to keep him away on purpose, haven't you," Asteria asked.

"That's not-," Emmett started.

"I respect it," Asteria grinned. "He seems incredibly full of himself."

"He grows on you," Emmett defended.

"I'm sure," Asteria replied as she went inside their classroom.

Emmett said goodbye to Rosalie before heading inside to join her. They covered the California gold rush for most of the class period. Asteria realized the Civil War would be coming up soon as well. Her mind returned to Brigid's emotional journal entries from that period and she frowned.

A pink eraser bounced off the top of her desk and narrowly missed hitting her in the head before flipping over her shoulder. Asteria jumped and sent her notebook, several pencils, and her sense of dignity scattering across the floor.

Emmett bit back a laugh as he reached over to pick up her things with ease. It wasn't hard to tell where the eraser came from and she glared at him while he placed the items back on her desk.

"Everything okay over there Asteria," the teacher, Mr. Peters asked.

"Yeah, I just saw a spider and I have no clue where it went to," Asteria said.

The girl behind her, one of Madison's friends named Vanessa, shrieked and jumped out of her desk. "I don't do spiders!"

"Hold still," Asteria said. "I think I saw it crawling across your shoe."

Vanessa kicked her foot so violently her shoe went flying off. She scrambled back into someone else's desk as Emmett grabbed his notebook and slammed it against the ground. "Got it," he called out after hitting the imaginary spider. He was trying very hard to contain his laughter.

As usual, with less than ten minutes of class left by that point there was no sense in controlling the derailed class. Mr. Peters left them off with instructions to fill out a handout for tomorrow's class and start reading the next chapter.

Asteria was proud of Emmett's self control; he waited until they were fully into the hallway before belting out one of the loudest laughs she had ever heard. It made her join in immediately, and soon Rosalie was with them.

"Oh my god," Asteria said as she calmed herself down. "I thought Vanessa was going to take off running."

"What's so funny," Rosalie asked while they walked to chemistry.

"Emmett," Asteria said while throwing a look at him, "decided it would be hilarious to throw an eraser at me in class."

"She's just upset because I startled her," Emmett told Rosalie before turning to Asteria. "But that's what you get for saying I wouldn't be able to sneak up on anyone."

Asteria huffed before continuing. "I knocked over everything on my desk and when Mr. Peters asked what happened I didn't want to get in trouble so I said I saw a spider and Vanessa flipped out. It was fantastic."

"I think you two need to be separated," Rosalie said with dry humor. "The school won't be able to survive you two messing around."

"Oh, come on Rose," Emmett laughed. "Give us some credit."

"It's all fun and games until you get detention," Rosalie warned him. "Imagine how mad Esme will be."

"Nah, I can talk my way out of anything," Asteria said. "We'll never get in trouble."

Asteria discovered they had a lab day when she walked into the chemistry room and she was grateful for Rosalie's good mood that day. The teacher had ended up throwing the two together any time it called for partners in the lab and some days Rosalie wasn't as cooperative. Of course, those were also the days Asteria wasn't feeling so friendly herself.

"Hey, I was wondering," Asteria said while pouring a mysterious purple liquid into a vial. She hoped she was doing it right; she hadn't bothered to pay attention during the 'instruction' phase. "The Camaro's been making this grinding noise every now and then when I brake-,"

"Your brake pads are probably wearing out. When did you replace them last," Rosalie asked while writing down notes.

"It's been a while so I'm sure that's it," Asteria replied. "The problem is that I have a bit of an issue getting to them by myself, so I was wondering if you might be interested in helping me? It seems like the kind of thing you're into."

Rosalie actually smiled at her. "Yeah, we can do it after school today if you want. If you have the parts, that is. Otherwise there's a garage on Main Street that carries them."

"Yeah, I went earlier this week. I was waiting to see if Charlie might be able to help me with getting the wheels off this weekend but I got sidetracked," Asteria said.

"Cool. It'll take us maybe ten minutes," Rosalie responded.

The rest of Chemistry slid past, and then English with it. They had started reading To Kill a Mockingbird, which Asteria had actually already studied at her old school and loved it. It was going to be an easy ride in class for the next few weeks.

Alice was waiting for her in Spanish like always, but Asteria didn't feel as annoyed as usual. She slid into her seat and even greeted Alice which caused the other girl to practically beam.

"So you're coming over after school," Alice asked with a grin.

"Yeah, I asked Rosalie if she could help me replace my brakes. It's more of a two person job, for me anyway, and it seems like it's up her alley," Asteria replied. "Wait, I thought you weren't able to see visions of me really?"

"It's fuzzy, but I can sometimes see you if I try hard enough," Alice said quietly. The classroom was noisy enough around them that no one else could hear. "I just couldn't see my plans this afternoon so I figured that meant you were in them."

"Oh," Asteria replied. She wasn't sure what else to say.

"Sorry, did I say something," Alice trailed off while sounding uncertain.

"No, no! It's just a lot to process," Asteria said. "You say these things so casually, like its normal. I just have to adjust."

"You're a witch though," Alice pointed out while frowning.

"Yeah, but I've never talked about it with anyone. Technically the only people that know what I am are dead," Asteria said.

Alice's face fell a bit. "That sounds lonely."

"It's been fine," Asteria sighed.

They were once again entering the territory of emotions that made her uncomfortable. Alice seemed to realize this fact and cheer herself up. "Well," she said, "it'll be great to have you over today. I have some clothes that I bought but never wore. They don't quite fit my style but I can't justify throwing them out. I was wondering if you might want some of them. I couldn't make them work for me, but maybe you could. If you want to, of course."

Asteria could just barely sense the uneasiness to Alice's words, like she was genuinely concerned of overstepping or saying the wrong thing. She was really trying and Asteria had to give her credit for it.

"Yeah, if you think they would suit me," Asteria nodded along.

Alice's grin was back at full blinding capacity. "Perfect. You can take a look when you get done with Rosalie."

Asteria didn't get a chance to beat the others to the lunch table; she went through the lunch line like a normal person and got a full meal for once. Granted, it was just a salad with one of those dorky cartons of milk and chips with a pudding cup but she figured they couldn't butcher a salad too much.

I was wrong, Asteria thought bitterly as she stabbed her fork into the salad again. It had that weird taste of nail polish remover that made her wonder if someone was trying to poison her. She ignored the rest of the salad and focused on her chips while the group talked around her.

"Hey," Asteria said with a sudden confidence boost. At the very least she could get it out in the open. "This is awkward, but I think I've been partying a little too much lately and it's been what's messing with my sleep. I'm gonna try to cut back and see if it helps."

"Are you serious," Natalie asked her. "Well, you're not sitting with us then."

It was quiet for half a second before Natalie burst out laughing. "I'm just kidding; you know I don't give a shit. Welcome to the exciting world of designated driving. If you still want to be around us while we party it up, I mean."

The good nature at the table continued on in a joking manner. Rachael even decided to join her on her sobriety spree. Damien made only one promise: to never puke in the Camaro. It was all Asteria needed to hear. Matt admitted he was too broke at the moment to smoke on a regular basis, but was still going to drink.

Their nice moment was interrupted by the arrival of a cloud of overwhelming perfume and judgment otherwise known as Madison Fairbanks with several of her friends in tow. "Do you think you're funny," she asked Asteria with raised eyebrows.

"On most occasions, yes," Asteria replied.

"You're just hilarious, telling Vanessa you saw a spider to make her freak out," Madison said. "God, you're pathetic."

"Not as pathetic as reaching your peak in high school but hey, not everyone can be you," Asteria said with a sarcastic smile.

"Go away Madison. Nobody gives a shit," Natalie told her.

"Said the table of freaks," she replied. "Between you and the Cullens there's way too many of you here."

"Can't you go be a cliché pile of garbage somewhere else," Damien asked her. "Your perfume is annoying."

"Try to go after one of my friends again, and you'll deal with me," Madison said in what she no doubt thought was a threatening manner.

Asteria abruptly started laughing. "I'm sorry. I'm just looking forward to you telling Emmett the same thing. Go on, they're just over there." She pointed to the Cullens' table where they were already watching the situation.

Madison's face quickly lost its edgy appearance before she tried to glare again. "Tell him yourself."

"Nah," Asteria said with a grin. "It looks like you and all your little friends worked hard trying to pump yourselves up for this in the bathroom. I'd hate to take away your little moment of glory."

The lunchroom attendant was starting to move over to them and Madison gave her one last glare before turning on her heel and leaving with her posse in tow. Asteria's table broke out in laughter.

"Oh my god, her face," Natalie laughed. "What did you guys even do?"

"We didn't even do anything," Asteria said. "I said there was a spider and Vanessa lost her shit."

"I wish Madison would have been dumb enough to take that over to the Cullens' table," Matt said.

"What's going on with you and them anyway," Rachael asked her.

"We're friends," Asteria said with a shrug. They had asked her before, but this was the first time she actually used the term 'friends'.

"Okay, but nobody is really friends with the Cullens," Natalie said.

"Don't call me nobody, it's rude," Asteria said before finishing her milk.

"What are they actually like," Rachael asked.

"Uh, mostly like people. They play video games, read books, murder people in their basement and drag the bodies off into the woods. You know, the normal stuff," Asteria replied casually.

"Wait you've been to their house," Damien asked.

"Seriously? That's what you got from that," Asteria asked. "I now feel the need to point out the murder basement wasn't true."

"But you've been to their house," Natalie asked.

"Well yeah, I'm lab partners with Rosalie. We've worked on things together before," she said. It wasn't technically a lie; they really were partners, and did work on projects together. That just wasn't why she had gone over to their house. The other reasons wouldn't go over so well though so she stuck with that one.

"So weird," Natalie said.

"Okay, that's not weird. The strange obsession this town has with a family of teenagers is weird. What does it matter what they do," Asteria asked.

"It doesn't really," Rachael said as she took in Asteria's tone. "It's just a small town. There's not much for people to focus on here."

"Yeah, I get it," Asteria said. She wasn't really looking to fight with them over the Cullens. After all, they were actually a lot weirder than anyone else knew.

"So, I heard it's supposed to snow early this year," Rachael said while changing the subject. "They're thinking it's in the forecast for Friday."

Natalie groaned. "I hate snow."

"Um," Asteria asked her with a look. "What has snow literally ever done to you?"

"It sucks to drive in and it's gross and wet," Natalie argued.

"Okay, no one else feels as personally victimized by snow like you do," Damien said. "So the rest of us are actually going to enjoy ourselves. Feel free to join in."

"Will we actually get a snow day," Matt asked.

"It depends on how bad it's supposed to snow Friday morning," Rachael said. "Hopefully they'll let us out early at least."

The rest of the day passed by uneventfully and Asteria walked out of class with Rosalie and Emmett.

"Sorry for instigating Madison to go yell at you, by the way," Asteria said. "I knew she wouldn't, it's the only reason I did. I felt bad afterwards because I know you keep your distance for a reason."

"Its fine," Emmett said while waving it off. "I would have stepped in anyway if she didn't leave your table. Actually, I think Alice was going to beat me to it."

"She can be intimidating when she wants to be," Rosalie nodded. "And I know she'd love to tell Madison off. So would I, actually."

"Your friends seemed to handle it fine," Emmett said.

"I know your family doesn't particularly like them," Asteria said with a sigh. "But they're just dumb teenagers, like me. They aren't bad people. Yeah, they make bad choices, but so do I. They're genuinely nice when you get to know them."

"We know," Alice said as she joined up with their group in the parking lot. She seemed to hesitate a second. "Don't take this the wrong way, but we couldn't help but listen in to your conversation at lunch. Maybe we- myself specifically- judged them too harshly."

"Thank you," Asteria told her sincerely. While she had made peace with a lot of what had caused tension between the Cullens and herself, she wasn't going to let them continue to look down on her friends. "We'll try to keep our shenanigans to a minimum."

"Does that mean no drinking," Alice asked hopefully.

Asteria sighed. This was another issue to face. "I don't know. Things can't be like they were, but you can't expect me to give up everything all at once. I'm a teenager. It's literally in the job description to get into trouble every now and then and cause a little mischief."

Alice nodded and Asteria was grateful that, for now at least, it wouldn't cause an issue.

"If your brakes are acting up, should you really be driving your car," Emmett asked. It felt like there was a second question underneath it.

"You want to drive the Camaro," Asteria guessed.

"I mean, we'd have to test drive it to make sure it's just the brake pads being worn out," Emmett said as innocently as possible.

"Fine," Asteria said while dangling her keys just out of Emmett's reach before flinging them towards Rosalie who caught them with ease. "But Rosalie's driving. I'm not stupid."


	15. Resting Poker Face

A/N: Hey, guys! Thank you to everyone for reading, following, and reviewing this story! I got a lovely question from GreenerGrass about the length of my story. As of right now, I have finished 18 chapters (not all of them are posted yet.) I have over 60,000 words! That's blowing my mind.

This leaves me with an interesting question though: I fully plan on writing this as far as my muse will take me, which means writing far into the actual events of Twilight and showing how the normal course of events veer off track with Asteria in the mix. Now, I could either have one super long story with like 80 chapters by the time I get done, or I could break it down into smaller stories. I'm more inclined to keep it in one piece so that people will be able to find it and read it whole (especially my readers who don't have fanfiction accounts to follow me as a writer). However, I'll leave it up to my viewers. If you guys think it's better to break it down by the books in the Twilight series, just let me know!

I'm having the absolute best time writing this right now. I hit a wall of writer's block for a while there and then just smashed through it with a bulldozer; I think you guys are really going to like the next couple of chapters coming out. Without trying to spoil anything or give too much away, I think chapter seventeen was my favorite one to write yet, although sixteen is special to me for a very different reason.

I really hope you guys like this chapter, and I'm excited for what's to come!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Turns out, Rosalie was as frightening behind the wheel as Asteria thought Emmett would have been;this made her seriously wonder how Emmett drove. She made Emmett ride in the backseat. There was no way she wasn't at least riding shotgun in her own car.

To be fair Rosalie drove with all the experience of a NASCAR pro, Asteria thought. And by that, she meant that as they barreled down an old country lane topping speeds of ninety five miles per hour she could almost see the flames of their impending crash. It was terrifying and absolutely thrilling at the same time.

Esme's look of disapproval as Rosalie pulled the Camaro into the garage was all terror, no thrill. "You know better," she scolded Rosalie as they climbed out of the car. "I'll bet you scared Asteria to death, and you're supposed to be working on her brakes! What if they weren't working properly?"

"Sorry, Esme," Rosalie said with the hint of a smile on her face. "Her brakes are fine though. Just need a little tune up."

"Good to see you as always, dear," Esme said while briefly grabbing her shoulders. It wasn't quite a hug, but Asteria was used to the physical distance of the Cullens. She was touched, no less. Esme really was a sweet woman.

"Thank you, Esme. I hope you aren't getting too sick of me," Asteria said with a smile.

Emmett snorted. "Are you kidding? She's had to put up with all of us for years. Esme's probably over the moon right now."

"I love my children," Esme told him with a twinkle in her eye. "But it's always nice to have new company. Particularly company that doesn't destroy my furniture."

"Sorry, Esme," Emmett told her with humor. Asteria guessed they went through a lot of remodeling through the years.

"I'll leave you to it, then," Esme said with a smile. "Let me know if you need anything." The last part was said purely for Asteria's benefit, she was sure.

It turns out that Emmett could, in fact, lift a car by himself. The sight was equal parts astounding and vaguely terrifying; Asteria had to use a lot of sarcastic humor to compensate her feelings of inadequacy.

"You know, I wouldn't feel too special. There are stories about moms getting superhuman strength when their kids are in danger. Probably adrenaline. They're supposed to be able to lift cars too," Asteria said offhandedly.

Emmett chuckled as he lounged on the garage floor with one hand propping up the Camaro. He could at least have the decency to make it look hard. Meanwhile Rosalie already had both front tires off the Camaro and had jumped right in.

Asteria hesitated; on one hand, she preferred to work on her baby herself, or at the very least be an active part of it. On the other hand, she really wanted to keep both her hands. She settled for hovering nearby to watch Rosalie which honestly turned out to be quite a show. She was practically a blur as she removed bolts and pivoted calipers.

Rosalie must have noticed Asteria watching. "I'm just sliding out the old brake pads now and putting in new retaining clips. Would you like to slide in the new ones?"

"Yeah, actually. Thanks," Asteria said while grabbing them off the front seat.

"You said this used to be your dad's car," Rosalie asked while they continued their work.

"Yeah. My grandpa was actually the one that bought it, and then he gave it to my dad. It's been in our family forever, practically another member," Asteria said while checking the brake level fluid.

"You treat it with a lot of respect," Rosalie noted.

"It deserves it; this Camaro has been through a lot," Asteria replied.

"I think it has," Rosalie said while giving her a thoughtful look that Asteria missed while wiping brake fluid off her hands.

They finished fairly quick after that; perks of being a vampire. Asteria was fully capable of taking off a tire and putting it back on, but it definitely took a solid fifteen minutes, not fifteen seconds.

The first thing Asteria did when walking through the kitchen door was wash her hands. She had a feeling that as immaculate as Esme kept the house, she wouldn't be too happy about getting grease everywhere.

"Finally," Alice called as she bounced into the kitchen. "I've been waiting!"

"Patient as usual," Emmett said as he tried to muss her hair.

Alice danced out of his way and quickly grabbed Asteria's wrist. "You're going to love it, I promise!"

Asteria wanted to be annoyed but it was so hard; Alice had an entire rack of clothes that fit Asteria's style to a t. Ranging from subtle jewel tones to earthy naturals to darker grays and blacks, it was like paradise. Alice really had put effort into figuring out her tastes.

"How big is your wardrobe," Asteria asked her as she admired a lace sleeve.

"Oh, I buy clothes all the time," Alice said offhandedly. "Edward says I have a problem, but it's practical."

"Entirely practical," Edward nodded solemnly as he leaned in the doorway. Asteria hadn't heard him approach. "Can you imagine if we were caught wearing the same thing twice?"

Alice stuck her tongue out at him. "Let me have my fun."

Edward held up his hands to her in mock surrender, then turned to Asteria. "I should warn you, though, you won't get out of here for several hours."

Asteria scrutinized him for a second before cracking a smile and grabbing a random hanger off the rack and twirling it around. "I think you're jealous. Was this originally supposed to be for you?" She held the long-sleeved, plunging neckline black shirt with lace cutouts higher in front of her.

Edward rolled his eyes and stood from his spot leaning against the doorframe. "Have fun," he called over his shoulder.

Alice grinned as he left. "I don't know where to start."

"Uh, Alice," Asteria said as a thought suddenly formed in her mind. "Exactly how much of this do you expect me to take home?"

"You don't like it," Alice asked innocently.

"Don't get me wrong, this is exactly my taste," Asteria said. "But I'm not taking a bunch of clothes."

"Why not," Alice asked. "Of course you can."

Asteria pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance. "Five. I will take five items of clothing."

"That's entirely too little! All of these are perfect for you," Alice started.

"I know Alice, and thank you for the gesture. It's just a lot," Asteria said. "I don't even have that much closet space, I'm not gonna take a bunch of clothes."

"Want to bet on it," Alice asked with a grin.

"Yeah, you know what. I do actually," Asteria said with a smile of her own. "Have you ever played poker?"

"I'll get the cards," Emmett's booming voice floated up from the first floor. Not that Asteria could tell from where she was, but she knew there was a huge grin on his face.

Alice faltered for barely half a second before she was back; it was more than enough to let Asteria know she'd hit the nail right on the head. Alice couldn't see her well enough, which meant she stood a fair shot. "Alright, if I win, you have to take every single piece of clothing."

"And if I win," Asteria said without skipping a beat, "I get to choose how much I have to take home, preferably not my own body weight in cashmere."

Alice huffed at her before leading the way down to the dining room. By 'leading', she flew down the stairs at breakneck speeds and left Asteria to come down at a deliberately leisurely pace. She decided that every time a Cullen used their super speed to make her feel painfully human she'd rub it in just a little bit more.

Emmett had taken his role of card dealer very seriously and was perfectly shuffling the deck at the head of the table. Asteria sat opposite Alice as she shifted in her chair impatiently.

"Alright, kids. It's Texas Hold 'Em, winner take all, one round. I don't want to see any card counting," Emmett said while giving a pointed look to Alice. By this time the majority of the Cullens had gathered around the table to watch.

"It's impossible for anyone else to play Alice at anything," Emmett explained. "She cheats too much."

"I do not cheat," Alice exclaimed. "It's not my fault I can see what happens."

"You should see her and Edward play chess," Rosalie said with a roll of her eyes. "It's over in all of two seconds."

"Exactly," Emmett said. "But with your shield, I'm hoping this is going to get interesting."

"Um, I mean," Asteria responded. "I'm not awful at playing poker, I guess."

"Haven't you played before," Jasper asked.

"My uncle Liam taught me a few summers ago," Asteria said. "I mean, I haven't played since but it's not hard, right?"

"Oh no," Emmett said in a small voice. Alice grinned triumphantly.

"Hey, give me a chance," Asteria snapped. "Just deal."

Emmett dealt two cards each to Alice and Asteria. Asteria flipped her two up while keeping them hidden from the rest of the group. Her eyes grew wide with worry for a fraction of a second before she flipped the cards back down.

Emmett sighed dramatically and flipped five cards over down the center of the table: the five and eight of diamonds, queen of hearts, queen of diamonds, and ace of clubs.

Alice grinned triumphantly and put her ten and four of diamonds on the table. "Flush! You're going to look so stylish."

"Uh, hey Jasper," Asteria said while looking to her left. "What does it mean if I have four queens?" She laid the remaining two queens on the table and was lost in Emmett's booming laugh.

"You're joking," Alice said with narrowed eyes.

"Yeah, turns out I'm not awful at poker," Asteria said.

"That wasn't even a full game," Alice retorted.

"Nope, but a deal's a deal," Asteria said.

"Fine," Alice said almost dejectedly as she made her way towards the stairs.

"Don't feel too bad," Emmett said. "The last time someone beat her at anything was Edward seven years ago."

Still, Asteria left with a lot more than five articles of clothing that night. Alice's pout was very powerful. Asteria supposed she could always just store some of her older clothes.

Asteria didn't even realize how late it had gotten; it was six thirty by the time she got back home. She rushed into the kitchen to find something quick to make but was stopped by Charlie.

"Too late, kiddo," Charlie said. "Pizza's on its way."

"Sorry, Charlie," Asteria said. "I didn't realize the time. Rosalie was helping me change my brake pads and we lost track of time."

"I thought you said the other day you weren't friends with the Cullens," Charlie asked.

"I don't know, it's complicated. I think we are. They're nice. Sometimes very…involved, but nice," Asteria said.

"Alright then," Charlie replied and dropped the subject. One of the many blessings of living with him, Charlie knew when a subject was awkward and would rather drop it than continue.

Asteria sat in her room thinking. Dinner, homework, and all nighttime rituals had been accomplished. She had even continued on in the book of shadows and read right until Brigid passed the book down to her daughter Ailis. Now, she contemplated sleep.

The candle spell, for whatever reason, had seemed to ease her enough to free her of nightmares but she couldn't really justify making it a nightly fix. Leaving a candle burning for the night was dangerous, and there was no guarantee that once the flame went out it would still work properly. Asteria had survived so far on luck, but needed more than that.

Sighing, she got up to brush her teeth and left the book of shadows along with her notebook spread out on her bed. Charlie wouldn't bother looking in her room anyway. Charlie was strangely very trusting of her for some reason. Asteria was sure Liam had told him all about what a wild child she was, but Charlie was typically very easygoing about it all. Once again, the man was a blessing she desperately needed.

Asteria finished up and went back to her room. Figuring it was now or never, she shut her notebook and threw it in her backpack to look over tomorrow. She was just about to shut the book of shadows too, but it wasn't on the same page she had left it. Somehow it had skipped ahead to a handwriting she wasn't very familiar with.

The title at the top of the page indicated it was a "dream pillow", and below that said it was effective for a good night's sleep free of bad dreams or negativity. Asteria paused while reading it, slightly creeped out that the answer to her problems just fell out of the sky of its own accord.

Not sufficiently creeped out to stop, she looked over the whole spell. It looked relatively easy; just a mix of different herbs (half of which she didn't have) thrown into a sewn up small pillow with cotton filler. Asteria took a deep breath while looking at the page and realized she was about to head deeper down the rabbit hole.

It wasn't long before she grabbed everything for it. Asteria snuck down to the kitchen since Charlie was already in bed and grabbed a small bowl to throw the herbs in; she wasn't too keen on him walking down the stairs to find her sewing at eleven at night. She used anise, cloves, and rosemary. There was an old quilt falling apart in the back of the hall closet that she stole on her way up the stairs.

Ripping a still intact square off the quilt, Asteria began to fold it over and sew up a side. She grabbed some of the cotton batting sticking out of the quilt and stuffed it in. Asteria glanced over at the bowl of potpourri sitting on her dresser; wasn't there lavender in it somewhere?

Successfully finding what she was sure was an essential part of the spell, Asteria mixed it into her bowl and poured the contents into the pillow. There really wasn't a quantity listed so she hoped it was enough. Stitching an uneven line to close up her pillow, Asteria admired her handiwork. It wasn't fancy, but hopefully it was enough.

Thoroughly exhausted, Asteria hid her book of shadows, threw the dream pillow into the back of her pillowcase, and nodded off.

Birds chirped in the distance as Asteria took in her surroundings. It was some sort of meadow as far as she could tell. Wildflowers grew in the tall grass and she was positive there was a stream somewhere nearby. The whole thing looked like a Disney setting.

"Where am I," Asteria asked.

"A quiet place," a voice behind her responded. Startled, Asteria whirled around and found Brigid in her usual dark green dress.

"Brigid," Asteria asked. "I don't understand, what's happening?"

"I don't know, it's your dream," Brigid responded. "You wanted a calm place, and here you are."

"Wait, are you like a real person," Asteria asked, immediately hating how stupid she sounded.

Brigid chuckled. "This is your dream, sweetheart. I'm just visiting."

"Okay but in what capacity because you keep popping up in dreams and it's kinda becoming a pattern here," Asteria asked.

"Are these really the questions you want to ask," Brigid asked her with a raised brow.

"Why is this all so hard," Asteria asked.

"My dear, nothing worthwhile was ever easy. But yes, our family has had a tough fight," Brigid sighed. "Perhaps it is because we are able to endure it."

"That's a complete load of crap. Sorry," Asteria said. "It's just too much."

"I have faith in you. You have the fire in your soul," Brigid said. "Use it."

The alarm clock went off at possibly the worst possible time. Asteria groaned and thought about throwing it across the room. Remembering how late she had become the day before, she jumped into gear and flew through her morning routine.

Asteria was feeling great by the time she had hopped in the car. Coffee in thermos, hair perfect, and stereo blaring Ryn Weaver's "Octahate" for a peppy change of pace, she was feeling fairly content.

The silver Volvo cut her off without warning. One second she pulling into the school parking lot and enjoying herself and the next the silver Volvo cut across the still empty parking spaces and whipped in front of her to claim its usual spot. Asteria slammed on her brakes and sat in equal parts shock and annoyance.

"Are you kidding me," Asteria said as she could make out Edward laughing from the safety of his Volvo. She gunned the Camaro and forcefully whipped into her own space. She threw the car into park and opened her door.

"You were going too slow," Edward said defensively.

"I was doing twenty," Asteria said. "It's a parking lot."

Edward just shrugged, but his slightly smug face remained. Finding sudden inspiration, Asteria unclasped her pendant from around her neck and focused intently.

"No," Edward said, but it was too late. Asteria focused her every thought on the words to Mambo #5, very thankful for once that the obnoxious song had been ingrained into her soul during childhood.

With an incredibly self-satisfied look plastered on her own face, Asteria grabbed her things and locked the car.

"You're going to get it stuck in your own head too," Edward warned her.

Asteria turned to face him and looked him dead in the eye. "Don't ever think that I won't sink the entire ship to drown a single passenger." She gave him one last grim smile of triumph and turned on her heel.

She wasn't quite sure how to "think loudly" but Asteria was positive she was doing a fantastic job at it. Emmett and Rosalie came up behind her as she was walking.

"What are you getting stuck in his head," Rosalie asked.

"Mambo number five," Asteria responded.

Emmett groaned. "He's going to be insufferable for the rest of the day. I think he's already got it stuck in his head."

"Serves him right," Asteria said. The two didn't say it, but she had a feeling they were enthused by the good natured joking around.

History class started right on time, and it began with the events leading up to the Civil War. Considering this is a topic Asteria had to cover every year, she wasn't too invested in paying attention. Instead her thoughts turned to Brigid and her own account of that time.

More than that, her thoughts wandered to her own encounters with Brigid. Maybe it was just her own mind using Brigid as some sort of coping mechanism to process everything, or maybe Brigid really was contacting her in her dreams. Honestly, stranger things had happened. Brigid's intervention in her nightmares was definitely welcome though. The night of the fire was enough of a catastrophe, having to relive it over and over was unbearable. Anything to do with Ryan made her sick to her stomach by this point.

Asteria reached up to grab her pendant absentmindedly; it was either play with that or her hair, and her hair looked way too nice that day to mess up. She reached up to grab it, but realized it wasn't there.

"Fuck," Asteria whispered as she realized it was still in her bag. Scrambling to grab it out, she saw Emmett give her a surprised look. She just shook her head, hoping that Edward had better things to do than listen to her.


	16. A Very Long Distance Phone Call

A/N: Here we go, guys! One of my favorite chapters so far. Thank you to everyone for reading, following, or leaving a review. I can't thank you guys enough for how much you inspire me to keep writing. This has all been such a blast and I'm having such a good time. There's even more fun times ahead!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Edward was waiting for her when history let out. Considering he had first period on the opposite side of campus, it seemed he had made a very specific trip. Emmett gave him a confused look before he seemed to piece things together.

"Can we talk," Edward asked her.

"Do we ever," Asteria responded.

He rolled his eyes. "What you were thinking about-,"

"Falls under the jurisdiction of 'none of your business'," Asteria said evenly. "Please just leave it. If I wanted to discuss it, I would have brought it up."

"If you wanted it kept secret, you should've left your necklace on," Edward retorted.

"That was friendly back and forth and you know it," Rosalie said as she arrived. She had a glare leveled at Edward. "Whatever this is, don't hang it over her."

"I'm not trying to be an ass," Edward said.

"Natural talent then," Rosalie said. She looped an arm through Asteria's and led her swiftly away from Edward. Asteria silently thanked the sibling rivalry between the two.

"I guess Edward saw something you'd rather he hadn't," Emmett guessed as he caught up to them.

"Yep," Asteria said.

"To be fair, it's not his fault. He can't really tune people out," Emmett said.

Asteria pulled her arm from Rosalie's and turned around to face Emmett. "Fine, then. It's my own fault for screwing up. Go ahead and pry into everything."

"That's not what Emmett said," Rosalie said, her full annoyance now directed at Asteria. "He wasn't suggesting you've forfeited your right to privacy, only that Edward can't control it."

Asteria sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "Sorry. I know you all don't really have a choice in your 'no hidden secrets' way of life, but that's the only way I know how to live. And I'd like to keep it that way. There are a lot of things that I don't care to share with anyone."

"I get it," Rosalie nodded. "Trust me; if Edward decides he's going to press you for information, he's going to reconsider." The look in Rosalie's eyes was equal parts reassuring and terrifying.

Chemistry passed in a blur and Asteria was thankful to sink down into her seat next to Rachael for English class. At least, until the conversation started.

"Hey, things looked tense with the Cullens earlier," Rachael said. "Are you guys fighting?"

"I'd rather not talk about it, but we're not fighting," Asteria said.

"Oh, well let's hang out after school. Take your mind off of it," Rachael said. "We'll go over to Natalie's and watch a movie or something."

"If we're staying a while I'll have to text Charlie, but it sounds like fun," Asteria said. Rachael gave her a surprised look. "What? I'm trying to be a little more responsible. Charlie's a really good guy, actually."

"Yeah, he seems like it," Rachael said thoughtfully.

Alice beat her to Spanish, as usual. "Sorry about Edward," Alice said as she sat down. "He's used to dealing with things in a very forward aspect, and it can be off-putting. I've talked to him, and he'll respect your privacy."

"Thank you," Asteria said, but she didn't miss the hidden note in Alice's tone, like there was more she had wanted to say.

"Was it really that bad," Alice asked in a quiet tone.

"Not all of it," Asteria said. "But it's not his business to pry into."

The rest of Spanish was spent in a more comfortable silence. Alice wasn't quiet, but she wasn't her usual bubbly self. Asteria took it as a sign that the other girl was giving her some space and she greatly appreciated it.

Rachael met up with her outside Spanish and they went through the lunch line together before sitting down at the table.

"So, movies at my place," Natalie asked. "My dad's on a business trip and mom won't be home until one so we'll have the house for a while. I'm thinking horror movies, maybe some throwbacks."

"If we don't watch at least one awful shark movie I'm walking," Damien said.

"Seconded," Rachael said.

"Fine, but I really want to watch that movie with the zombie animals," Matt said.

"What is it with you people and messed up animals," Asteria asked.

"Would you rather have regular zombies," Natalie asked.

"Nope, bring on the tweaked out animals," Asteria said.

The rest of the day was a complete blur until Emmett and Rosalie walked out to the parking lot with her. Asteria sent a quick text to Charlie asking (telling) him about Natalie's movie night with the promise of doing homework there. They were at the cars before she knew it.

Edward was leaning against the driver's door of her Camaro. "Sorry," he said. It was uncharacteristic, and furthermore the action seemed to physically pain him. Alice stood in the background with her arms folded and gave him an unimpressed look.

"Forgiven," Asteria said. What was she going to do, blow up on him and give him cause to throw it all out in the open? "Now if you'll excuse me, I have places to be."

"Have fun," Alice said. "Be safe."

"I'm so glad you said that. I had every intention of not being safe, but since you said something I won't," Asteria replied.

Alice rolled her eyes and climbed into the Volvo.

The drive to Natalie's was short as always. The song "Everything is Alright" by the Glorious Sons had barely played its entirety before she was pulling in the drive. Matt and Natalie had already beaten her there.

Asteria grabbed her backpack but paused; she only had two assignments, and the chances of anyone else doing homework were slim to none. She threw it back in the passenger seat, figuring that if she had time she'd do it later.

The first movie was, in fact, an awful shark movie; something about a mechanic shark fighting a prehistoric shark that was trapped inside an iceberg. Completely stupid, full of laughs, and exactly what Asteria needed after her day.

They stopped to make pizza rolls, which Natalie appeared to have stock piled in mass quantities. With how much her parents were gone, Asteria figured she probably had plenty of junk food in the house. The pizza rolls were carried down to the basement sitting area while Damien flipped through to find a new movie. Rachael went in search of a blanket in the closet and yelled triumphantly.

"Guys, guess what I found," Rachael called out.

"Was it a sense of purpose," Matt yelled back.

"No, better," Rachael said as she came back with a board in hand. "Nat, do you remember this?"

"Oh, no fucking way," Natalie said with a grin. "That was so much fun!"

"Are you two done freaking out," Damien asked.

"Shut up," Rachael said. "This was our Ouija board back in middle school. We used to freak each other out."

"Is this a great idea," Asteria asked.

"It's fantastic," Natalie said.

"Alright, continue," Asteria said as she helped clear a spot on the coffee table.

Now, there are two types of people that use a Ouija board. The first type just wants to move the planchette around the board to mess with everyone else in the group. Simple, harmless fun. The second type wants to actually communicate with the dead, and end up looking like the people at the start of Paranormal Activity. Asteria was willing to bet her friends were the first type and was fully signed up to watch them scream at each other.

Natalie went around dimming lights while Rachael lit a few candles "for ambience" she said dramatically. Matt rolled his eyes and refused to move closer while Damien took a seat on the floor. Asteria joined him and Natalie and Rachael remained on the opposite side sitting on the couch. Together, the four of them made the same mistake every opening person on Supernatural does.

"Is there anyone with us," Natalie called out dramatically. The planchette slowly moved over to the 'yes' before going back to the center.

"I felt you move it, Natalie," Damien said.

"I swear it wasn't me," Natalie shot back.

"What's your name," Rachael asked. It was a slow process as the planchette went out to a single letter before circling back to the starting place and heading back out. It eventually spelled out A-I-L-I-S.

"What is that, Eye-lis," Natalie asked as she sounded it out.

"No, it's pronounced 'Ay-lish'," Asteria said. She felt a little bit colder.

"Do you know them," Rachael asked. The planchette moved to 'yes' before Asteria could respond.

"Woah," Natalie said.

From that point on, the planchette started moving around the board and touching letters like crazy. Asteria felt frozen as she felt it move along.

"Stop moving it around," Rachael said.

"I'm not doing anything," Natalie replied.

"Neither am I," Asteria said with wide eyes.

The planchette stilled, having spelt out B-E C-A-R-E-F-U-L.

"Okay this is weird," Damien said as he took his hand off the planchette.

"Yeah, I'm not too sure about this anymore," Rachael said as she followed Damien's lead.

Natalie and Asteria both took their hands off the planchette and left it sitting in the center of the board.

"You know them though," Natalie asked her.

"Uh, yeah. I think I'm related to her somewhere way back. It's not a very common name," Asteria said.

"And you're sure you weren't moving it to scare us," Rachael said skeptically.

"No, I swear," Asteria said. She would never have done that.

All of a sudden, the planchette twitched without anyone touching it. Slowly it got dragged over to 'goodbye'.

Rachael full on screamed. Natalie vaulted herself over the back of the couch. The other four scrambled up the steps from the basement as Asteria followed in a more dignified manner. She was freaked out, sure, but she had this vague sense that they were going to be okay.

Everyone else sat huddled in the living room with all the lights on. Natalie was on a loop as she paced back and forth in the center of the room saying loudly "what the fuck was that, what the fuck was that?!"

"Guys, I think we're okay," Asteria said.

"Did you not see that thing move on its own," Matt asked.

"It literally spelled out 'be careful'. If anything, I think she wanted us to stop using the Ouija board," Asteria said.

"Okay well it worked. I'm never going in that basement again," Rachael said.

"Are you kidding me? I live here," Natalie said.

"Okay well this is what happens when you guys decide to do dumb shit," Damien said.

"New plan: we stay in the living room, order pizza, and turn on something funny," Asteria said.

"Yeah, okay," Natalie said.

It was almost comical how badly her friends had reacted, but Asteria was more intrigued by what had happened. It had to be the real Ailis coming through; she had just started reading her section of the book of shadows, which was no coincidence. There really weren't that many Ailis' out there either. She was sure, tapping into her own intuition that Ailis had acted just to freak them out so they wouldn't use the Ouija board anymore, which was probably a good idea. Knowing how stubborn Natalie was, she'd probably get herself into trouble fast.

It was almost eight after they had eaten pizza, but no one really cared to stick around too late at the house. Their mood was still heavily affected by the basement. Asteria sighed and pulled out her phone. The others had made excuses and were out the door.

Hey, Charlie. Natalie's dad is out of town and her mom is working late. We heard a weird noise outside and she's a little freaked out about being by herself. Can she spend the night, Asteria texted.

Charlie's response was sent within a minute and Asteria smiled. "Hey, Nat. Charlie would be cool with you spending the night if you want."

"I mean," Natalie responded. She was probably weighing it over in her head: how freaked out she was versus how brave she could be. A floorboard creaked in the distance as the house settled. "Yeah, sounds like fun. If you're offering."

"Let's go grab your stuff," Asteria said as she went up the stairs with her. To be fair, Asteria also had a hard time dealing with the supernatural. Granted, her experience was a little more intense on the usual basis, but it was still difficult to handle. She was willing to let Natalie freak out a little.

Natalie ended up packing in a hurry; Asteria wasn't even sure Natalie knew what she was throwing in her bag, she moved so fast. She sincerely hoped the other girl had everything she needed since she was ready in about five minutes. Asteria ended up driving Natalie in the Camaro. It wasn't such a big deal to drop the other girl off the next day, and she was concerned Natalie might crash into something with how freaked out she was.

Charlie was amazingly cool about the whole situation, but Asteria had to remind herself that he was a police officer. He was probably used to helping other people out when they were upset about something. By the time they had arrived, he had already dragged the mattress from the spare bedroom into Asteria's room to use as a makeshift bed for Natalie.

They talked for a while and listened to music, but Natalie ended up asleep by ten. Either the stress of the night had worn her out, or it had no affect on her normal routine. Asteria was still wide awake however. Not wanting to wake Natalie up, she decided she could climb out the window again. After all, it wasn't like she had to be afraid out there anymore.

Asteria wandered out to her usual spot and sat down on the old log while focusing on her own energy. She funneled all of the negativity out of her body and through her feet to the ground while focusing on the good energy being drawn up through her feet into the rest of her body. The process was incredibly relaxing and she sunk back into the log as she felt her tension release.

That weird paranoia kicked up again that usually meant she was being watched from the treetops. Realizing now that it was probably Alice, she called out. "I know you're out there Alice," Asteria said loudly. "There's not really a reason to hide anymore."

She looked around up high, but couldn't find the familiar form of Alice Cullen hidden among the branches. Puzzled, she looked around the forest floor. Off in the distance, Asteria could barely make out the light form of a figure in dark clothes hidden in the faint light of a crescent moon.

"Hey," Asteria called out. "Who's there? Alice, is that you? This isn't funny."

The figure, whoever it was, started to slip backwards as Asteria drew to a standing position and walked towards them. Within seconds they had faded into the trees surrounding them. Asteria followed for a bit before giving up and turning around. She had come to the sudden realization that if it wasn't a Cullen, she really didn't want to meet up with whoever else could be standing around watching her.

Having had so much practice hurrying up the tree to her room while under the threat of the White Blur, Asteria had no issue getting back into her room and locking the window up. She even decided it was worth it to light her protection candle, just in case. Besides, with Natalie there she was twice as likely to catch it if the candle burnt out of control.

Sleep didn't come immediately for Asteria, but at least it was dreamless and relatively happy. She woke up to the sound of Natalie's alarm. The other girl apparently set five as part of her wakeup process, which annoyed Asteria to no end. She was awake with the first one, but Natalie went through the full process of all five of them to rise and shine; Asteria was ready to throw Natalie's phone out of the window.

While her initial mood was enough to scare anyone away, Asteria quickly warmed into a better one as she applied makeup for the day. She even went downstairs and made toaster strudels for breakfast as a good host. It wasn't Natalie's fault that Asteria's ancestors had scared her into coming over.

They pulled into the parking lot with plenty of time to spare, which of course meant the Cullens were already there. Asteria climbed out of the Camaro with Natalie following quickly after.

"You two rode together today," Alice asked.

"Yeah, impromptu slumber party. I don't know if you've ever actually met. Natalie, this is Alice. And the rest of the Cullens," Asteria said awkwardly. It could have been less awkward, but she meant it as a warning for both parties to behave.

"I think we've seen each other around," Alice said politely with a smile. "But it's nice to meet you anyway. You're one of Asteria's closest friends, right?"

"She's alright," Natalie said with a shrug.

"Hi. Standing right here, like a foot away," Asteria said.

Natalie grinned. "Well of course. It would be no fun to talk about you behind your back."

Asteria rolled her eyes and nudged Natalie with her elbow. "So very glad to have honest friends."

"You're welcome. I'm a treasure," Natalie said. "Well, I better get off to English before McLaughlin kills me. See you at lunch, Asteria. Nice talking to you guys." She directed the last part at the contents of the silver Volvo before rushing off.

"Impromptu slumber party," Alice questioned with an eyebrow raised.

"Yeah, long story. Not very interesting," Asteria said offhandedly.

"I beg to differ," Edward said.

Asteria leveled her gaze at him. "She was thinking about it, wasn't she?"

"Only when you had mentioned something. Playing with Ouija boards," Edward asked.

Asteria sighed. "To be fair, it wasn't my idea. When Natalie and Rachael decide to do something they become a force to be reckoned with."

"What, did you have a little too much fun with it," Emmett asked.

"One of my relatives crashed the party. Made the planchette move across the board on its own. It really freaked everyone else out," Asteria said.

"Like an actual ghost," Rosalie asked surprised.

"I guess," Asteria said. "It was a surprise to me too. I can't really come up with another reasonable explanation for it. It doesn't really matter though. We stopped, and I don't really care to try again."

"Why, was it spooky," Emmett asked.

"No, I just don't care to do it again," Asteria said. She was beginning to get uncomfortable with the subject.

Miraculously, Alice seemed to catch on. "Did you get your Spanish homework done, though," she asked.

"Uh," Asteria said as she thought about the homework in her backpack. She had remembered them as she threw it back in her car outside of Natalie's, but otherwise it had remained untouched. "Sure, why not."

Alice leveled a disapproving look at her. "You should have time in Chemistry. Get it done."

"Aye, aye, Captain," Asteria said as she threw her bag over her shoulder and stalked off to history. Whether or not she actually listened depended entirely on how bored she was.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A/N: What's this? A second author's note?! You bet! I didn't want to spoil the chapter, but I had to say why this was my favorite chapter to write. The whole Ouija board scene was completely unplanned and actually based off some fun a friend and I had. We decided to read each other's futures with tarot cards (they're like super sassy if you're not being respectful apparently. I'm apparently going to die alone haha.)

Anyway, we made our own makeshift Ouija board and held a mini seance at my friend's apartment. Not recommending it, by the way. You can invite all sorts of nonsense to happen if you start playing around with things like that. It's better to leave it alone unless you know what you're doing. We ended up chatting with my Great-Aunt Ida who was able to tell me the year she died, my grandma's name and then without prompting spelled out "be careful" and told us to quit. Nothing moved on it's own though so we're good.

Y'all, I don't think you understand. I got grounded from a Ouija board. I'm still laughing about it. But yeah, boys and girls, maybe not a great idea.


	17. Don't Run with Sharp Objects, Kids

**A/N:** Hello again, everyone! I think this chapter took me a little longer to get up, so sorry about that. Thank you once again for all the love and support I get from you guys. This has to be my absolute favorite chapter that I've ever written, I'm so excited! I have to say, even if you usually ignore the songs I sneak into my chapters, I highly suggest turning on Ruelle's "Game of Survival" for this one. I wrote this at eleven at night with that song playing and I got literally so into it. Alright, enjoy!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

History class managed to stay on track the entire class period for once. Poor Mr. Peters deserved a medal for everything he had to put up with. They covered the precursory events to the Civil War, and then Mr. Peters announced their upcoming project.

"And now, you're all going to split up into groups. I'm not going to assign them, just make sure its two to four people in each," Mr. Peters started. "You're all going to pick a topic about the Civil War and follow along with the guidelines of different projects you can make. I've got examples of different topics you can use on the second page of your packet, or you can request for me to approve of one. Get into your groups now and look over the packets. You have until the end of class tomorrow to select groups and topics."

Asteria sighed dramatically and turned to Emmett. "I guess we can work together. Quick question, were you in the Civil War?"

Emmett rolled his eyes and looked around to make sure no one else was listening to their conversation. They were all too hyped up to get into groups to pay attention to their conversation though. "I'm not that old. Jasper is, though."

"I'm sorry, what," Asteria asked. "I was kidding. Was he really?"

"You should ask him about it," Emmett said with a grin. He clearly enjoyed catching her off guard.

"Okay," Asteria said. "So where does that leave us on topics?"

"Normally I just pick a battle-,"

"Nope, incredibly boring," Asteria cut in. Once they had to start listing off numbers and facts it lost interest.

"Maybe we could do a project on the spies," Emmett asked.

"I think I know what we could do," Asteria said. "Would you mind doing a project about one of my ancestors?"

Emmett shrugged. "Sounds okay to me. I'm guessing you have enough information to go off of?"

"In my family's journal," Asteria said. She was careful to not call it a book of shadows. "Her name was Brigid. She was from Kentucky and there's plenty of journal entries about her taking in wounded soldiers and a first-hand account of events."

"I'm guessing we won't be able to cite your journal as a source for class," Emmett asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, I'll figure something out," Asteria said. "I'll make sure it's entirely over the top and unnecessary though."

"Oh, perfect. I was concerned," Emmett said sarcastically.

Asteria glanced through the project ideas listed. Power points were boring and outdated. Writing an actual paper sounded gross. Dioramas, brochures, videos, fake facebook accounts for historical people, and sewing projects were also listed.

An idea hit Asteria like a bolt of lightning. "Hey, Emmett. What if we did the whole project as a video? An unofficial documentary of Brigid's life, but modernized."

"What do you mean by that," Emmett asked. He seemed fairly interested in the idea, at least.

"Let's make a video project, but maybe shoot it with a go-pro," Asteria said. "We can detail the events in a modern day retelling of Brigid's journal, to point out how surreal the whole thing would be by today's events. A nineteen year old girl caring for her infant and housing random, wounded strangers that were fighting in a civil war with little to no medical experience."

Emmett nodded while grinning. "That actually sounds cool. I know Alice would love to help, and we could probably get Rosalie to as well."

Asteria wondered briefly if Brigid would like her idea, before deciding it was the best way to drive the point home. She had deeply admired Brigid's determination and willpower and thought it would be an interesting way to get other people to realize the struggle.

"Uh, Mr. Peters," Asteria said as she called him over. "We have our project idea. We want to do a video about the women who lived in Kentucky during the war."

"Alright, sounds good," Mr. Peters said. "You'll just have to follow the guidelines in the packet. You need at least four sources to cite for information, and it needs to be at least three minutes long. Any idea what you're going to do for it?"

"Oh, we know what we're doing," Emmett said with a grin. "We'd like to keep it a surprise though."

"Make sure it's school appropriate, Emmett," Mr. Peters said with a long-suffering tone.

"We're on it," Asteria cut in before Emmett could reply.

With that, the two started to quietly plot. Asteria listed off different facts she thought would be relevant or interesting from Brigid's journal entries to include into the movie. Emmett was all about figuring out how to direct it.

"We need a setting for it," Asteria said. "Although since its modern day, I suppose either of our houses could work for it."

"We can use my house," Emmett said easily. "Esme already decorates it like it's a movie set."

"Perfect. So exactly how elaborate are we going to make this thing," Asteria asked.

"You said you wanted it to be over the top and entirely unnecessary," Emmett reminded her.

Asteria grinned. "I can't wait to do this."

Rosalie agreed to help when they told her the plan. She didn't seem particularly interested in the whole thing- Asteria was willing to bet the term 'childish' was rolling around in her head- but she was clearly willing to help if Emmett wanted her to. Besides, Asteria had a feeling Rosalie didn't mind becoming an actress.

Alice was all sorts of excited when she found out about the project. She was quick to jump into planning and took over control of costumes. This project was getting wildly out of hand and Asteria loved every second of it.

"So, when are we going to start this," Emmett asked as they walked out to the parking lot.

"We could probably start filming Saturday, I think," Asteria said. "It shouldn't be too hard to come up with some sort of script. For the most part we can wing it. Are you still cool with helping us?"

"Yes, I'll do it," Rosalie said. Her tone of voice seemed to imply she was asking a great deal of her.

"Thank you, Rose," Emmett told her while pulling her closer. He turned back to Asteria. "Did you want to come over now to work on it?"

"Yeah, I guess. We should probably look up some other sources to cite for it, maybe include some information from them so it doesn't look like we winged the entire thing," Asteria said. "Let me drop by my house first and grab the book of shadows. We might want it as a point of reference."

She was nervous about bringing her book of shadows over, but knew it was going to happen eventually. They would only get to see excerpts from Brigid's personal account of the war, though, nothing more. In fact, Asteria was sure she could keep them from going through it for the most part. If she asked them to respect it, she knew they would. To take her mind off of it, she started Ruelle's "Game of Survival" for the drive home.

Charlie was of course still at work when she got home. Asteria unlocked the door and threw her backpack on the couch. She'd just grab a quick snack, run up and grab the book, and stick it in her bag before heading over to the Cullens.

Asteria had just taken a step away from the couch when she paused. She could definitely hear the distinct sound of footsteps in the hallway upstairs. There was no way she had missed the cruiser in the driveway; the house was supposed to be empty.

Walking as quietly as she could, Asteria grabbed the biggest butcher knife from the kitchen. On her way out, she double checked the laundry room and downstairs bathroom. The last thing she wanted was to be trapped by two people.

Debating on the best course of action, Asteria pulled out her phone and sent a quick text to Alice. I think someone is in my house. She'd seen a few episodes of Criminal Minds and figured it would help the crime scene investigators piece together what happened if things went south.

Another few steps sounded from the hallway and Asteria felt her heart beat faster. Taking a deep breath, she relied on that feeling of energy surging into her veins and calmly made her way to the staircase. She couldn't see anything from the bottom of the stairs and slowly began her ascent.

It was all quiet upstairs now. She didn't know if that meant the other person heard her on the stairs, or if they were busy. Asteria vaguely wondered why she didn't just leave and call Charlie, but figured it was too late to back down now.

The first room she checked was Charlie's. It was the closest door and Asteria kicked it in without hesitation. His room didn't have an abundance of furniture, which meant there wasn't exactly going to be a lot of hiding places. It took an immense amount of equal parts courage and idiocy, but Asteria checked both in the closet and under the bed. Thankfully she didn't find anything but some old boxes and dust bunnies.

Pushing her luck, Asteria faced the spare room across from Charlie's, the one that used to be Bella's as a kid. She pushed the door open in a rush and quickly scanned around the room. The bed was a small twin size without covers on it, which meant nowhere to hide under it. She walked across the room to open the closet door and was once again met with a stack of old cardboard boxes.

The floorboard at the top of the stairs was tricky; if you put your full weight on the center, it creaked loudly. It was a specific, high pitched creak that Asteria could pick out from any other floorboard. She had edged around it hundreds of times in the middle of the night to avoid waking up Charlie.

The telltale floorboard squealed loudly, followed by a few more bumps like someone was rushing down the steps. Asteria's heart was going a mile a minute as she whipped around. Through the doorframe she could just make out a tall shadow descending the stairs. She lost sight as they kept going down the stairs and she ran across the room and out into the hall. She stood at the top of the stairs with her eyes scanning around wildly, but no one else was in sight.

Running down the stairs so fast she missed a step (not a smart decision with the large knife still in her hand) Asteria flew across the living room and threw the front door wide open. There was no figure running off into the distance, no car zooming by, and definitely no sign anyone left the house.

Realizing there was a good chance they were still in the house, Asteria left the front door wide open and ran to her Camaro. The doors were still unlocked, but the keys were back in the house. It didn't matter, as soon as her hand touched the smooth metal of the car door a silver Volvo was speeding down the street and screeching to a halt in front of the house.

All five Cullen children climbed out of the car. Asteria was suddenly very aware of the knife she was still holding and set it down on the hood of the Camaro. At that point she realized her hands were shaking. She balled them up into fists and crossed her arms to hide them.

Alice joined her next to the Camaro, but the others quickly entered the house. Asteria knew that if there was someone still hanging around, they wouldn't be able to hide. She wondered what would happen to them.

Alice frowned as Jasper came through the still open front door and approached them. "We didn't find anything," he said.

"What? What do you mean, you didn't find anything," Asteria asked.

"There was no one there," Jasper said slowly. She knew he could probably take in her erratic emotions given the large volume of them she felt at the moment and her spotty control. "Edward didn't feel anyone else's mind, and there's not a scent inside the house. No one was in there."

"No," Asteria said while shaking her head. She pushed past him and went back into the house. Alice and Jasper trailed behind her. Alice was saying something that was probably reassuring, but Asteria wasn't paying attention. Rosalie was in the living room with Emmett, and Edward was leaning against the railing to the stairs.

"You probably just heard the house settling," Edward said. "It's older."

Realizing words wouldn't be able to cover everything Asteria removed her necklace and replayed what happened in her mind while she went up the stairs. She knew Edward was listening intently and heard him softly curse as he was maybe a step or two behind her.

"Someone was here," Edward said.

"How," Rosalie asked. "There's not even a scent."

Asteria ignored their conversation as she went to her room. She hadn't gotten a chance to check it before and realized the door was open. At no point in Asteria's life had she ever left a bedroom door open.

Looking around inside, not much was different. A few papers were scattered across the floor that Asteria was sure had been stacked neatly on the dresser, but otherwise there wasn't really a mess. Worried, she shoved the dresser to the side. At least, she tried. As soon as Edward realized what she was doing, he moved it without a word.

Asteria's secret hiding place looked untouched. The book of shadows was where she had left it and she tenderly picked it up. She even rifled through the pages, not trusting that it was truly safe. The rest of her collection was in order as well.

"Everything is here, it looks like," Asteria said. "I don't know what's going on." She pushed her bangs out of her face in frustration and whirled around. She zeroed in on the dresser across the room and realized the one thing that was missing.

"What's the candle for," Edward asked as he caught on to her thoughts.

"Protection," Asteria said. She was sure most of the color had drained from her face. "It's supposed to power a spell to ward off evil."

She caught Jasper and Emmett exchange a tense look, but Asteria was already moving. She slipped past them into the hall and back down the stairs. The homemade sachet of protection herbs by the front door was gone. Edward picked up on where the other three had been hidden and made quick work of checking on the rest.

"They're all gone," Edward said grimly.

Asteria closed her eyes and sank down onto the couch. This was the exact opposite definition of the word 'good'. She swallowed hard and tried to think of what to do next.

"Let's go back to the house," Alice said. "You should get away from here for a bit, and it would be better to think things through there."

Asteria nodded, still too lost in figuring out what to do. She had the book of shadows clutched to her chest. She didn't know exactly what that thing was after, but she wasn't taking any chances.

Alice drove the Camaro while Asteria rode shotgun. She didn't miss Jasper sitting in the backseat, nor the weird sense of calm falling over her. Asteria realized she had never put her necklace back on, but couldn't seem to find the willpower at the moment. At least without it Jasper could influence her out of having a panic attack.

Esme was waiting for them at the front door when they pulled up. The Volvo was right behind them. Asteria was barely out of the car before Esme had wrapped her into a tight hug.

"Are you okay," Esme asked. "What happened?"

"Let's get inside first," Jasper told her as he wheeled Asteria through the front door. He actually had a hand gripped on her shoulder and she was sure it was the first time she had ever seen him touch anyone outside of his family.

Asteria ended up wedged on the couch between Alice and Esme. The rest of the family was piled into the living room as well.

"Carlisle is on his way home now," Edward said.

"You didn't have to call Carlisle," Asteria said absently. She was still too lost in thought to pay full attention to the conversation, but she felt guilty for making him take off from work.

"It'll be fine, dear. He has a lot of time at the hospital saved up," Esme said while patting her hand.

Asteria was vaguely aware of Edward relaying the full events of the afternoon as she twirled the pendant around in her fingers. Sighing, she realized it was still her best form of protection and put it on. It meant no more help from Jasper on maintaining emotions, but it also provided her a deep sense of security.

"It was a ghost," Asteria said, interrupting the conversation around her.

"Are you sure," Rosalie asked with surprise.

"I'm positive," Asteria said.

"I've never seen proof they exist," Edward said.

"You saw my thoughts," Asteria said. "I know that's what this is. My intuition is telling me."

Alice nodded along. "Do you have any idea what to do?"

Asteria hesitated before closing her eyes. She pulled on that sense of intuition and tried to follow the line of thought. It felt like tracing back an old memory. Slowly, she opened her eyes and set the book of shadows on the coffee table before her, opened to the last page she had read. She focused on pulling more energy into her once again.

"Cuideachadh," Asteria whispered. Help, in Gaelic.

The pages fluttered as if a strong breeze had ruffled them into life. Emmett cursed loudly but she ignored it. Asteria watched the pages flutter and turn until they finally stilled. Waiting a minute, she leaned in and found a spell she had yet to read over.

'Contact a Spirit' was the bold heading at the top of the page. There was very little information written about it. Mainly it was just a mixture of herbs lit as incense and an invitation in Gaelic.

"This seems like a great idea," Asteria said in a flat voice.

"I'm going to vote against this," Emmett said.

Asteria sighed. "I trust this. Don't," she said as she saw Emmett ready to respond. "This sounds crazy, I'm sure, but it's the right move. If I do this spell, I have to trust that it will work."

"So," Rosalie said, "in summary, you believe a malevolent spirit means you harm and you want to willingly invite them to speak?"

"No," Asteria said while shaking her head. "The spell isn't for them. I'm going to summon my ancestor. Ancestors, actually."

Asteria wasn't sure if she should contact Brigid or Ailis. Brigid is the one she felt a deep connection to, but the spell was in Ailis' handwriting. Combined with her presence during the Ouija board incident, she was sure Ailis was useful in situations like these.

"What's happening now," Carlisle said as he entered through the front door and found the gathering in the living room.

"We're having a séance, apparently," Emmett said skeptically.


	18. John Edward Can Suck It

A/N: Hello my lovelies! Thank you for all the love over the last chapter. I told you it was one of my favorites to write. Things are started to heat up a bit more and I love it. To answer a question, Asteria put the necklace back on in the last chapter. She was playing with the pendant on it and realized she needed to put it back on. As always, I have a plan for Asteria's love life but that's gonna be a while down the road. Just sit back and enjoy!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I still think this is an awful plan," Emmett said from the corner of the kitchen.

"Thank you for your input," Asteria said with a bored voice. She didn't bother looking up from the book of shadows. "We'll take it into consideration and get back to you."

Esme had gone into the kitchen with her to locate some of the herbs necessary for the spell. Asteria highly doubted they would have much, seeing as the Cullens didn't need to season their food, but it looked like Esme had a pantry even Martha Stewart would approve of.

The spell called for charcoal dust, basil, dandelion root, mint, pepper, sage, saffron, verbena, and wormwood. The more common ones would be easy, but something told Asteria the others were a lost cause.

"Verbena actually won't be a problem," Esme said. "Alice loves the smell of it, so there's a plant on the second floor. There's also some Silver Mound wormwood growing along the east walkway. The only thing I'm afraid we can't get is the dandelion root."

"I'm sure we can work around that," Asteria said as she read over the spell for the fourth time. "I'll sub in some rosemary instead."

"Can you just substitute parts of the spell like that," Alice asked as she walked into the kitchen. She set her verbena plant and a small pile of wormwood clippings on the counter next to the other ingredients. "Won't that alter it in some way?"

Asteria shrugged. "This seems like the sort of thing that you just kinda wing. Besides, the dandelion root was for calling spirits, and I don't think we really need to 'call' them." She thought about the book opening to its own page, as well as her recurring visits from Brigid in her dreams. "I'm sure they already know I want to chat."

"So why rosemary," Esme asked as she pulled it from the cabinet.

"It was one of Brigid's favorite herbs," Asteria said. "If she's who I'm trying to contact, it makes more sense to use it."

"Here goes nothing," Asteria said as she reached the counter full of ingredients. Esme had even placed out a large metal mixing bowl. The room went fairly quiet as Asteria started to focus.

She focused on her energy exercise first, letting the negative expel itself into the ground and pulling back up fresh energy. It wasn't necessarily written down, but Asteria felt better going about a spell that way. After all, magic was energy with intent and she definitely didn't want to put any negativity into calling for a spirit or she may not get the one she was looking for. Ones, rather. She really hoped she could call more than one at once.

Mixing the herbs was rather easy; there was never really a written amount of each to put in, so she focused heavily on the charcoal, to make sure it would burn, and the mint, to make it smell nicer. Asteria also put a little extra rosemary in. It couldn't really hurt anything.

Satisfied with her work, Asteria split the mixture evenly into four different bowls that Esme helped her carry into the living room. The book of shadows was moved to a place on the coffee table in the center of the room where she was sure it was safe. The rest of the Cullens, save for Alice, stayed out of the way. It was a fact Asteria was extremely grateful for; the last thing she wanted to do was trip over everyone as she tried to focus.

"You wouldn't happen to have four purple or white candles, would you," Asteria asked.

Alice grinned. "I've got both. Would you prefer purple? Nevermind, I'll bring all of them." She was gone in a flash before returning with an armful.

"I'll just take the purple, thanks," Asteria said. She had become accustomed to Alice's exuberance by this point and just learned to roll with it. "Which way is north here?"

Esme indicated the far side of the living room and Asteria set to work. She put an incense bowl in each of the four cardinal directions and then spread the four candles in between the bowls so it created a rounded out circle.

"I don't think anyone else can be inside this circle with me, but you're welcome to hang around outside of it," Asteria said before pausing for a bit. "I'll warn you though, I don't think Brigid is overly fond of vampires. Something about murdering her family. I mean, I get it. You guys didn't have anything to do with it, but it's a bit of a sore spot."

"I'd like to-," Edward started.

"We understand," Carlisle nodded as he cut off Edward. "This isn't an appropriate time to have that conversation."

"Thank you," Asteria said before turning back to her work. It was a little harder to do a spell, particularly one as intensive as this one, with seven pairs of eyes on you, but what can you do about it? Asteria took a deep breath and focused all of her energy on the task ahead of her.

Asteria lit the incense first and moved north, south, east, and then west around the circle. The next part was to light the candles, which she did starting at the northeast and moving clockwise. The directions were fairly particularly about that point. Then, the incense was blown out in a counterclockwise motion starting from the north.

"Tha mi ag iarraidh air spioradan Brigid agus Ailis," Asteria called out loudly in Gaelic. I call upon the spirits of Brigid and Ailis. "Feuch, tha feum agam air do chuideachadh." Please, I need your help.

It was quiet throughout the house, so quiet you could have heard a pin drop. There was no sign, whether it was a sound, something moving or anything else that anyone had responded. Asteria waited a few seconds before calling out again. Her heart sank in her chest as she realized it didn't work. Apparently the dandelion root was essential after all.

"Fuck," Asteria whispered as she dropped the lighter that was still in her hand. She pushed her hair back in frustration and nearly leapt out of her skin as two forms appeared in front of her. "Holy- Jesus! Sorry."

Asteria stood with a hand to her chest as she took in the people before her. They weren't altogether opaque, but they did seem to have a definite form and even color to them. Brigid looked exactly as Asteria had seen her in her dreams, but Ailis looked different than her mother. She had fiery red hair and freckles. It was easy to see the Celtic genes in her.

"You did call us, did you not," Ailis asked with amusement. "Why do you look so surprised?"

"Okay, not to criticize your spells too deeply, but do you think you could have put a better description of what they do or something because this was definitely not my first thought," Asteria said.

Brigid smiled. "We are pressed for time, as always, my dear. I'm afraid we will have to focus on what's important for now."

"Right," Asteria said as her mood dropped. All thoughts were now focused on the source of evil running through her house like a freshman on a panty raid. "To start, do you know why I called?"

Ailis nodded gravely.

"Okay, then. Follow up question," Asteria said. "What the hell was that?"

Ailis sighed. "I'm not entirely sure. It's not human, nor has it ever been."

"I'm sorry," Asteria said. "Did you just say that thing wasn't human? As in, it's a demon or something?" Her tolerance level for weirdness had skyrocketed way past where this conversation was heading.

"It's not as black and white as that," Brigid said. "It's not a demon like what you're probably thinking of. There are all sorts of misconceptions on the topic. It's referred to as a negative entity. What the being is isn't entirely important; it's what it's doing."

"We believe it saw your aura, or maybe some of your magic, and decided to attach itself to you," Ailis said. "Creatures like that survive off of feeding on others' energy, and you present a very powerful source. We believe it meant to make you defenseless today when it ripped apart your spell."

"But how did it get in the house in the first place," Asteria asked.

"If your candle hadn't been lit in a while, then the spell wasn't charged up enough to work. I'm sure it was waiting for its moment to sneak in and destroy the spell," Ailis said.

"What am I supposed to do," Asteria asked. She was starting to feel overwhelmed once again.

"You have to banish it," Brigid said. "It's strong; you'll need a powerful banishing spell."

"Can you help," Asteria asked.

"Unfortunately we're not able to," Brigid said. "Our magic flows through our veins, and passes with us. We can help you devise a spell powerful enough, but all the work is going to have to come from you, my dear. Do not be afraid, you are strong."

"And she won't be alone," Alice said confidently as she stepped up to the circle in the living room. She wasn't quite inside the circle, but she was definitely out of the shadows that the rest of the Cullens were hiding in.

"Ah, yes. The vampires," Brigid said flatly. "Normally, I would not tolerate this, but these are special circumstances."

"Very special, it would seem," Ailis said while looking at Alice intently. Asteria got the sense she was looking into Alice's aura. She had this look on her face like she was searching for something there.

"I assure you, I care deeply for Asteria. My entire family does. We're willing to do anything we can to help her," Alice said.

"You, I will trust without question," Brigid said. "But where is your leader? I would like a word."

"That's not-," Asteria started as Carlisle came forward.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. As Alice has told you, we all care deeply for Asteria and would like to help keep her safe," Carlisle said with nothing but sincerity in his tone.

Brigid looked him up and down before nodding, but Ailis seemed to want more validation.

"Stick out your dominant hand please, palm up," Ailis said. Carlisle complied, and she spent a silent minute studying his hand from their respective sides of the circle. "You have my blessing. Thank you."

"Satisfied," Asteria asked them.

"For the time being," Brigid said. "I'm sure we will have many more conversations. There is still much you need to know, but that will have to come when the time is right." Brigid's gaze flicked around to multiple Cullens, but seemed to settle for a little longer on Alice. Asteria couldn't help the feeling there was something else Brigid wanted to say, but Ailis interrupted that thought.

"Contacting spirits is a tricky spell," Ailis said. "The spirit cannot stay on this astral plane for long; it drains too much energy. We can't come as often as we will like. We will do what we can to write a powerful enough banishing spell so that when we're in contact next, we will be ready."

"How are you going to manage that," Asteria asked.

"So many questions," Brigid smiled. "The truth of it is complicated, but we'll talk to other spirits on a different plane. Other members of our family, as well as other witches. In the meantime, look through Ailis' section in the book of shadows, as well as Lorna's, for different protection spells. By using several of the strong ones you may be able to hold off this negative spirit until we're able to find a way to defeat it."

"How long will that take," Asteria asked.

"We will come find you as soon as we can," Brigid said. "That may be a week, or two, or more. It all depends on what we can find."

"What do you mean, you'll come find me," Asteria asked.

"I've visited you on this plane before dear. My spirit is strong, and I'm capable of trips to this plane when I allow for it. Although I wasn't sure if you'd remember it," Brigid said with sternness in her voice. "It was Halloween, and you seemed to be having a bit of trouble in the woods."

Asteria blanched a bit at the memory. She had wandered out into the woods wasted and panicked at the realization that the Cullens were vampires. With this new perspective, she determined that Brigid was the one that led her back to safety.

"Thank you, for that," Asteria said.

"Try to be more careful. I should be back within the next week or two. By then our spirits will be able to withstand another journey and we'll have devised something," Brigid said. "In the meantime, be safe my dear. Try not to be alone, and be aware of your surroundings always."

"Thank you," Asteria said. "I'll try."

"And try to keep away from spirit boards, or uncontrolled contacting of the spirit world," Ailis said sternly to Asteria before she turned and looked directly at Alice. "Keep her safe."

Alice nodded. She was all business by that point.

Brigid smiled at her and raised her hand as if to caress Asteria's face before both her and Ailis shimmered and disappeared before their eyes. The candles surrounding them blew out as well and their smoke mingled with the dying smoke of the incense.

Asteria felt as though a piece of her went with them. There was this hollow feeling in her stomach that didn't sit well with her. She hadn't noticed how wet her eyes felt until she closed them and it took her a second blink back the tears before they could fall.

Alice placed a delicate hand on her shoulder. It was a simple, gentle gesture that comforted Asteria far more than a hug could have.

"Well, I guess I have some studying to do," Asteria said as she started grabbing candles. Esme raced around her collecting the rest of the items and carrying them off before Asteria could reach them. She carried her single candle and the book of shadows into the kitchen. "I should go."

"You shouldn't be by yourself," Alice all but yelled.

"No, but I can't leave Charlie by himself at the house and he'll be off work in an hour," Asteria said. "If that thing got in once, it can do it again. I'm not risking it attacking Charlie."

"I'll go with you," Alice said. "I'll ride with you in the Camaro and Jasper can drive over in the Volvo. We'll stay with you until you have some more protection spells in place and Charlie gets home, and then we'll go."

"Alright," Asteria nodded. "That makes more sense."

"Be safe, dear," Esme told her while giving her a light hug. "You're always welcome here, anytime."

"Thank you, Esme," Asteria said. "Sorry about putting you on the spot, Carlisle."

"It's more than fine," he said with a wave of his hand. "Well worth being able to see real magic performed. Although I am curious as to what she saw on my palm." He said the last part wryly, but she could tell the doctor was very intrigued by the entire exchange.

"Next time I'm over I'll bring the book," Asteria said. "I'll look into palmistry and see if I can tell what Ailis saw."

The ride home was fairly subdued. Alice offered to drive the Camaro, but Asteria flat out refused. She wanted to be able to focus on the road; without it she was afraid her mind would wander off in seventeen different directions. She put the song "The Mother We Share" by CHVRCHES on in the background and let the it fill in the silence between them.

"Can I ask you something," Alice asked softly.

"Depends on what it is," Asteria said warily.

"Brigid said that she trusted me without question, but Ailis needed to see Carlisle's palm to trust him. Why," Alice asked.

"I don't know," Asteria said. "Although when Ailis was looking at you, I felt like she might have been reading your aura. Maybe it made them trust you more."

"What does my aura look like," Alice asked, surprised.

"I read it once in class. It was the day in Spanish that you took me to the nurse's office, actually. I couldn't refocus my vision," Asteria said. "I think it was a mix of pink and yellow with a little bit of sky blue."

Alice nodded thoughtfully. "Why wouldn't they just read Carlisle's aura as well, then?"

"Alice," Asteria sighed. "I really don't have all the questions. I can't explain why they did anything, all I know is that my head hurts, I'm way past the point of ever being normal, some demonic spirit is coming after me to steal my energy, and all I want is some ice cream and fluffy pajamas."

Alice eyed her thoughtfully. "It's an awful lot to deal with. You must be incredibly stressed."

"Stressed doesn't begin to cover it," Asteria said.

"Hopefully we can resolve this mess quickly," Alice said. "I don't like not being able to see this."

"So, you can't see the spirits with your vision, either then," Asteria asked.

"It would appear not," Alice said annoyed. "We have theories, but it's all subjective. It's not like when I'm unable to see you. Thanks to the spell on your necklace I can still see flickers of you. From what you've said, magic is based on emotion, so it makes sense that when you're in a high state of emotion you can overpower the spell on your necklace enough to see you. But with these spirits, I see nothing at all. I couldn't even see you run out of your house, you just went blank."

"Well that's comforting," Asteria said. It was nice to know while she was already freaked out over the whole thing that no one would be able to come to her aid.

"We can figure something out," Alice said firmly. "In the meantime, if you would just drive a little faster, we could have enough time to reinstate that protection spell before Charlie gets home."

Asteria rolled her eyes and gunned the engine dramatically. "Happy?"

"Immensely," Alice responded.


	19. These Boots Were Made for Kicking Ass

A/N: Hey guys! Thank you for all the loving support, as always. I regret to inform you all that the next few weeks are going to be a little screwy. I've been kicked out of my house, which means I need to find a second job and new place to live. Thankfully, I've already written several chapters ahead so I do have a few things to give you guys. I'm going to try my hardest to round out this section of plot and maybe leave off just before Bella gets to Forks. I can't imagine that going past thirty chapters. This has been an incredible experience for me, and who knows, maybe things will change and I can continue writing the story. For now, I'm just going to do my best to get my things in order and finish out the story so I can give you guys an ending you deserve. It's been a blast.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Having Alice and Jasper around was surprisingly helpful. Asteria moved through things twice as fast. She remade the original candle protection spell, as well two others. The first was a spell to keep out unwanted visitors. Its primary component was sea salt mixed with paprika, garlic, and rosemary. It went on either side of every door, window, or other entrance into the house. Supposedly it stopped anyone unwanted from coming through the two points.

The second spell was a little more intense. Asteria found it under Lorna's section of the book, her great-grandmother. It involved placing an amethyst in a bowl full of sea salt and rosemary overnight under the moon. When the amethyst was worn, it was supposed to 'warn' the wearer of nearby evil. Lorna sounds like she's seen some shit, Asteria thought as she set the bowl near her window to set. Luckily she had an old ring that belonged to her dad's mom that would work just fine. It was unlikely Grandma Helen had placed any spells on the thing, after all. She was from the non-crazy side of the family, and was also Charlie's mother.

"Anything else we can make," Alice asked brightly as she stood nearby. Asteria couldn't tell if she was hovering from curiosity, concern, or lack of social understanding. At least she was used to the Cullens' peculiarities by now.

"Dinner," Asteria suggested. "I don't suppose you know how to cook?"

Alice wrinkled her nose. "I don't know how Esme does it. None of it smells very appealing."

Asteria rolled her eyes and led the way downstairs. "Neither do most teenage boys, but I bet they're still on the menu for a lot of vamps."

Asteria inwardly cringed when that joke slipped out, sure it was in poor taste. Jasper surprised her by chuckling.

"Way too much cologne these days," he said distastefully. "If you could call it that."

The statement made another thought pop up. "So, uh, Jasper. Word on the street's that you were kickin' it with Lincoln and Lee back in the day."

"I never met either of them," he responded with a smile. "Although, I was the youngest major in Texas."

Asteria paused for a moment. "Nope, I don't believe it."

Jasper gave her a confused look. "You don't believe it? I was a major in the Southern army-,"

"No, I don't believe you're from Texas," Asteria said as she started chopping up vegetables. "What self-respecting Texan never wears cowboy boots?"

"Don't get me started," Alice practically yelled. "I refuse to let those horrid shoes into the house, they're a fashion disaster."

"They weren't made to be fashionable, Alice," Asteria countered. "They're practical."

"They're practically garbage," Alice said.

Asteria started chuckling. "I know what I'm wearing to school tomorrow."

Jasper grinned while Alice shot her a look. "You wouldn't dare," she said with a glare.

"Come on, Alice," Asteria said. "Do I really seem like the type to not go through on a dare?"

Alice was gone in a flash and by the look of Jasper's face as he pointedly stared off into the distance while biting his lip, Asteria knew exactly where she went.

"Alice! Get back here," Asteria said as she made her way to the bottom of the steps. "Those boots are mine!"

Alice flitted to the top of the steps and casually made her way down. "What boots?"

Asteria groaned. "You're impossible. Where are they?"

"The witness protection program. If you find them you can wear them," Alice said with such confidence that Asteria was genuinely concerned.

"You're the worst friend," Asteria said.

"I'm a great friend. I'm keeping you from having a fashion disaster," Alice said.

Rolling her eyes, Asteria went back to the kitchen and resumed her work. "I'm going to find them eventually."

"Maybe, maybe not," Alice shrugged. She stared off into the distance for a second with a faraway look before coming back to the present. "Charlie will be home in a few minutes. We should probably be on our way."

"Oh," Asteria said slowly as comprehension hit. "I always thought you had some weird attention span thing going on where you space out. That's when you have a vision though, isn't it?"

Alice stuck out her tongue. "Have fun finding your boots."

Charlie pulled in just as Asteria was bringing some potato soup to a boil. "Something smells good, kiddo," he said as he walked into the kitchen.

"Thanks, Charlie. It seemed like a good day for soup," Asteria said as she continued stirring.

Charlie made his way to the living room and turned on the news while Asteria finished up the soup and threw some rolls in the oven to warm up. After the events of the day, she definitely wanted some comfort food. The ridiculous amount of cheese she stirred in helped with that.

They decided to settle into the living room instead of eating at the table for once, which meant that Charlie flipped through the channels aimlessly to find something they could agree on.

"Oh, wait," Asteria said. "Go back!"

Charlie flipped back to his old western channel and was surprised by Asteria's choice. "We really don't have to watch this, you know."

"Uh, this is the new version of True Grit with Hailee Steinfeld," Asteria said. "I like the Old West, as long as it's the new Old West."

"If you're sure," Charlie chuckled while shaking his head.

They spent the night in companionable silence. Asteria even had Charlie pause the TV so she could microwave some popcorn before the final shootout. After the movie was over, Asteria even stuck around while they ran the original movie for comparison. She curled up on the sofa and finished up her homework like a good student.

By ten o clock, Asteria was even ready for bed. She sat in her room with the candle lit for a bit to charge up her spell, triple checked the ring was completely submerged in the bowl, and repeatedly scanned the tree line outside for any shadows moving around.

Asteria changed and brushed her teeth, but still couldn't settle down. She was worried the candle spell wasn't charged enough to work. Settling on her bed, she grabbed the book of shadows and read through more of Ailis' accounts. It was hard to stay focused though; she must have looked out of the window every minute or so to look for any shadows lurking.

She had just gotten back to rereading a paragraph for the fifth time when movement near her window caused Asteria to jump. Sitting out on the tree branch, Alice waved like it was a completely casual, every day encounter.

"Are you kidding me," Asteria asked her as she opened the window. "You scared me to death. I'm dead. You killed me."

"Don't exaggerate," Alice said from her place on the tree. "I just noticed you looking out the window and wanted to tell you there's nothing to worry about out here."

"Okay, I have several points to cover there. First, would you be able to actually see the entity if it's out there? Second, why are you stalking around the trees?"

Alice looked a little sheepish. "I was a little concerned. I just wanted to double check everything was okay out here. After all, I did promise your ancestors I'd keep an eye on you."

"Uh huh," Asteria said. "Follow up question. Where's my boots?"

Alice grinned. "Well, it looks like everything is going well here. I'll be on my way." Alice stood and leapt gracefully from the tree before Asteria could respond.

"Alice," Asteria whisper-yelled into the darkness.

Charlie knocked on her door and Asteria raced to throw her cover over the book of shadows before he could open the door. "Everything okay in here? I thought I heard talking," he said.

"Oh, yeah," Asteria said. "I was talking to myself, sorry. Trying to figure out what I'm going to wear tomorrow since I can't find my boots." She said the last part with annoyed tone that she threw over her shoulder towards her window. She had no clue if Alice could still hear but it was worth it.

"Which boots," Charlie asked confused. "Don't you have a ton of them? Just wear different ones."

"Oh, Charlie," Asteria said like a disappointed parent. "I wish I could explain. Just, if you see my cowboy boots would you let me know? They're the tan ones."

"Sure thing, kiddo," Charlie said. "Don't forget to blow out that candle before you go to bed."

"Alright," Asteria said as he started to close the door. "Good night!"

Asteria had a rough night trying to sleep. At this point she couldn't tell if she was paranoid or it was her witchy intuition. She kept expecting to see that dark shadow looming in her room and was terrified it was her intuition acting up. With a start she realized she had done plenty to try to keep the thing out, but had no plan if actually got in.

Her dreams reflected her restless mind. Asteria had weird dreams about running through the woods.

She tried looking for Brigid but remembered she was supposed to be off in spirit land looking for a magical cure against evil. It sounded absolutely ridiculous, even in her dreams. Asteria finally caught sight of some light through the trees and thought she could make out the sound of lots of people talking, maybe the hint of a bass thumping underneath the ruckus. She pushed through the last of the trees and came across the familiar scene.

The bass thumped. Bodies swayed with the music. Plastic cups littered across the ground. The air felt stagnant and hard to breathe in. A voice called for people to hop the fence and she felt a hand grab her wrist.

"I can't do this," Asteria said while shaking her head. "I can't deal with this right now." She rolled her wrist into Ryan's thumb and was able to break his grip. Without turning back, she ran back into the woods and kept going long after hearing the explosion as the shed caught fire.

Asteria sat bolt upright and shoved her hair out of her face as she struggled to breathe. The dream pillow was supposed to be keeping her stupid nightmares away, why wasn't it working? She reached inside her pillowcase to throw the useless thing across the room but came up empty.

"Are you fucking kidding me," Asteria hissed as she realized the entity took that too. "I don't know how, but I'm murdering it."

It was still an hour before her alarm went off but Asteria's anger mode was now dialed up to eleven. Plugging her phone into a portable speaker, she put on Delta Rae's 'Bottom of the River'. She took a shower to try to calm herself a little and decided to put on her makeup. On the plus side, the unbridled rage helped her create a razor sharp wing to her eyeliner. It didn't, however, dissipate the murderous fury she felt.

Asteria went back in her room and dressed for the cold in blacks and grays. She dug the amethyst ring out of the bowl of salt and nearly jammed her finger as she put it on. Trying her best not to stomp down the stairs, Asteria headed for the door to go outside for some fresh air.

"Why are you up so early, kiddo," Charlie asked from the kitchen.

Asteria jumped. She forgot Charlie wouldn't have left yet. "You scared me, Charlie. I woke up early and decided to grab some fresh air. Enjoy the morning."

"Don't wander off too far," he said.

"Of course not," she said. "I'll just be on the little path from the backyard. See you later."

The less Asteria said, the less chance of Charlie catching on to her mood. It was much safer that way. Besides, what was Asteria going to tell him if he caught on to her mood? "Oh, I'm just pissed some evil entity is trying to suck up all my witchy power. I'm a witch by the way. Don't worry though, my vampire friends and I held a séance for my witchy ancestors and they're figuring out a magic spell to destroy it." She really hated the idea of having to smile and say something trivial like, "oh, I'm just upset this boy won't ask me out."

Asteria continued muttering to herself about how stupid the whole situation was as she stomped through the path in the trees. So help her, if she did catch sight of the entity it was going to get a piece of her mind. She wondered what would happen if she did cuss it out.

"What are you doing," a voice asked from behind her.

Asteria jumped and spun at the same time, so it was no surprise that she lost her footing and started toppling to the ground. Alice caught her before she could hit the forest floor though.

"Okay, we really need to talk about acceptable ways to announce your presence," Asteria snapped as she regained her balance.

"Sorry," Alice said. "We were walking loud enough that human ears could pick us up, but it seems like you were busy. Something on your mind?"

"Yeah," Asteria said. "A stupid, evil shadow that I want to rip into a million pieces."

Jasper raised his eyebrows and took in her mood. She could feel waves of calm edging in, but didn't let it overpower her.

"If I wanted to be calm, I'd calm myself down. Sometimes girls just want to be mad," she told him as civilly as she could manage.

"You seem fairly worked up," Jasper said.

"I couldn't sleep. That stupid entity stole my dream pillow so I tossed and turned all night, and when I could finally sleep I kept having that same fucking nightmare about the party and I don't want to deal with it right now," Asteria said. It all tumbled out so fast as she ranted she didn't really have much time to process it.

"What party," Alice asked her. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Asteria clammed up. "Definitely not. Just go ahead and do the thing where you make me calmer and we don't have to have this discussion."

"Is this a discussion we should be having, though," Alice asked her.

Asteria sighed. "I've got like a million and one problems right now. Is there any way we could shelf one or two of them and focus on the thing that's probably trying to kill me?"

"I'd love to," Alice said dryly. "Which is why I'd like to ask what you think you're doing wandering around in the woods by yourself when I specifically said not to go off on your own."

Asteria flopped down on her favorite log and sprawled out there while staring up at the gloomy sky. "This is so unfair. Other girls just have to worry about English homework and crushes on stupid boys."

Alice sat down next to her. "It's not fair, and I'm sorry. That still isn't a good enough excuse to throw personal safety out of the window."

"Alice, I know you seem perpetually bright and cheery," Asteria said. "But aren't there ever times where you just want to go off and scream for a bit?"

"Of course. Jasper makes it very hard to feel that way," Alice said while eyeing her husband, "but anyone can get frustrated. Next time you need to vent, maybe send me a message first? If it wasn't for your anger upsetting the protection spell on your necklace, I'd never have seen you out here in the woods, and then who knows what could have happened."

Asteria hadn't realized how angry she was. Worked up enough that her own angry energy interfered with the spell on her pendant, apparently. She sighed and realized she couldn't really afford to have a mental crisis at the moment. Reeling in some of her anger, she let Jasper's gift send her into a relative calm state.

"Yeah, okay. Sorry Alice," Asteria said.

The three of them walked back to the house where Charlie had already left for the day. She still had twenty minutes before she was supposed to leave the house. Alice went straight into the kitchen.

"Uh, Alice, whatcha doin' in there," Asteria asked casually.

"Making breakfast," Alice responded.

"I didn't really think you'd be a Captain Crunch sort of girl," Asteria said.

"Not for me," Alice said with a roll of her eyes as she poured a bowl with milk. "When was the last time you even ate breakfast?"

"I think I had some in the summer of 2006," Asteria said. "It was a weird time for me."

"Just eat it," Alice said as she passed her the bowl.

Asteria sat on the couch and turned on the morning news as she sat and ate. She looked up and caught Alice looking at the bowl distastefully.

"What," Asteria asked defensively.

"It just doesn't look appealing at all," Alice said as she wrinkled her nose.

"Then why did you make it," Asteria asked exasperated. She caught Jasper trying to stifle his laughter in the corner.

"You should be eating more," Alice said. "Especially with how much energy you use on magic."

"Do you think that, maybe," Asteria started, "before you turned, you might have been someone's grandma? Do you have any sudden desires to pinch someone's cheek?"

"Ha ha, very funny," Alice said. She did appear satisfied with herself as Asteria took another bite, though.

"Oh, shoot, we should probably go soon," Asteria said as she finished eating and took the bowl in the kitchen. "I've still got some things to grab though."

"I can help you," Alice said. "What do you need?"

"I'm just gonna go grab my book bag, if you could grab my cowboy boots that would be great," Asteria said casually as she raced up the stairs.

"Nice try," Alice called to her.

"Worth a shot," Asteria said as she grabbed her bag. She took one last look in her bedroom mirror and went down to join them.

"So, uh, Jasper," Asteria said. "As one boot-lover to another, what can I do to convince you to help?"

"If I've learned one thing, it's to not go against Alice," Jasper said without hesitation.

Alice grinned triumphantly and kissed him.

"Ugh, get a room," Asteria said as she locked the door.

"Actually, we'll be getting a ride from you, if that's alright," Alice said. "We didn't take the Volvo. We're still going to arrive early enough that no one will notice we rode with you."

"Are you embarrassed to be seen with me," Asteria asked while putting a hand over her chest.

"No, it just looks- oh, you do that too well. You're the worst," Alice said as she caught on to Asteria's joke.

"Maybe, but I'm the best of the worst," Asteria said as she slipped into the driver's seat. With that, she carefully backed out of the driveway and then proceeded to gun the engine and speed all the way to school.


	20. Someone Call Chip and Joanna

A/N: Hello, my lovely readers! Thank you for the support you've all shown. Updates are going to be a little inconsistent now. It's hard to find time to write and get in the mindset to. I'm so incredibly thankful for my friends, who have let me stay with them for a bit. I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and I'm pumped for the next several chapters to come.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Alice was not very impressed with Asteria's driving.

"Oh what, like you're a picture perfect driver," Asteria scoffed.

"I have better reflexes than you. You're going to crash one day," Alice said.

"Sorry, mom," Asteria said in a flat, sarcastic tone.

Jasper remained quiet as he climbed out of the backseat but by the look on his face, he was taking a lot of enjoyment out of the back-and-forth between the two.

"Just remember," Asteria said while turning to look at him as she got out. "It's all fun and games until we decide to team up."

Alice grinned. "That sounds like an excellent plan."

The Volvo peeled into the parking lot and smoothly parked next to them. "About time you joined us. I thought I'd be waiting all day," Asteria said just to rub it in a little.

Edward threw her a look. "We were under the impression we were waiting for Alice and Jasper before leaving."

"Oops," Alice said. "Slipped my mind." She shrugged apologetically at Edward.

He stared at Alice for a second and Asteria got the distinct impression he was reading through her thoughts. The annoyed glance that flicked her way before he locked the Volvo helped solidify her theory. Sufficiently annoyed, Asteria threw her backpack over her shoulder and locked her car.

"See you later, Holden," Asteria called behind her to Edward as she walked off to class.

Emmett and Rosalie caught up with her easily. "What was that about?"

"Mmm, how much time do you have," Asteria asked.

"Point taken," Rosalie said. "Edward was being an ass?"

"Give the girl a prize," Asteria said. "You know, I didn't ask to become your family pet."

"That's not what we think of you as," Emmett said. "You're more like the annoying younger cousin we have to make sure doesn't get bullied at school."

"Oh, good. For a second I was worried there," Asteria said.

"You know how Edward can be," Rosalie said with a roll of her eyes. "He'll get over himself eventually."

"If that's not the pot calling the kettle black," Edward said as he came up behind them. Asteria hadn't noticed him approaching at all.

Rosalie hissed at Edward. Full on, feline hiss. "Was there something you wanted?"

"Yes, actually," Edward said. "Alice had a vision. "Heather Reed got a paper cut a second ago. You'll want to avoid going to History today, Emmett."

"You've got to be kidding me," Asteria groaned. "We're supposed to be working on that stupid project. Don't make me do it by myself, I'm skipping too."

"You can't both skip first period," Edward said. "Imagine how that will look."

"Uh, well, for me it's going to look like I don't care about alarm clocks," Asteria said.

"Please, just go into class. All you have to do is fill out a sheet about our project. You can spend the rest of the time daydreaming," Emmett said.

"Fine," Asteria said. "But I'm going to be daydreaming about kicking your butt."

Emmett laughed. "Also known as the only time you could." He even had the audacity to ruffle her hair as Asteria passed him to head to class. She gasped and turned to look at him.

"Ohh, you're gonna regret that," Asteria said.

Heather was indeed sitting in the back of the class with a tissue wrapped around her finger, how dare she. Asteria had half a mind to glare at her but settled into her desk and practiced acting like a normal human with normal problems.

Class was off to a boring start as Mr. Peters had them break into their groups for the project. She filled out her sheet explaining the video project and turned it in quickly. That left her plenty of time to practice her Gaelic in her spare notebook.

Mr. Peters was at her desk within a few minutes. "Asteria, don't get me wrong, I like this idea. I just can't let you do it."

"You're not serious," Asteria asked.

"I'm sorry, but with the political climate today...it's just not a safe option. I don't want you or Emmett to get in any trouble, and it might violate the school's policy for expressing political views," Mr. Peters said.

"What happened to 'art imitating life'," Asteria huffed.

"This isn't art class, its history. I'm sorry. Let me know if you need some help revising your assignment," Mr. Peters said as he handed her a blank copy and walked away.

Of course it had to be the day Emmett would play hooky. Asteria glared back at Heather. This was clearly all her fault. Now she was stuck coming up with a new project idea that would somehow magically cover their topic.

Asteria grinned with sudden inspiration. Like or not, art was going to imitate life in this project, and it was going to magically cover it. She scribbled across the paper with her new idea and was practically laughing when she turned it in.

Mr. Peters grabbed the paper straight from Asteria and started to read it over immediately. "This is a really interesting idea, but are you sure you can do it?"

"Oh, I'm sure. We'll have it all under control, don't worry," Asteria said.

"Alright. Well then! I'm excited to see you guys pull this off," Mr. Peters said.

Asteria sat back in her chair and set to work figuring out the details. Oh, the Cullens may not be overly enthused about it, but it was happening now.

The walk to Chemistry was quiet without Emmett and Rosalie. Asteria took her time to relish the personal bubble she felt and gave herself a chance to process. Truth be told, she was still in a pretty awful mood about everything. It looked like Jasper's calming effect was wearing off. It was just so hard to shake that edge when you wanted to be angry.

Rosalie took one look at her outside of the classroom and looped an arm around her's. "Come on," she told her while moving briskly away from the Chem lab.

"What are we doing," Asteria asked.

"Ditching," Rosalie said precisely as they headed off to the doors. "Emmett gets to do it, why can't we?"

"Hell yes," Asteria said. This side of Rosalie was exactly what she needed. They got out to the Camaro and she tossed the blonde her keys. It was definitely more fun with Rosalie driving and they were far less likely to crash.

The ride was mostly quiet. Asteria let music play in the background to keep it from being dead silent, but neither girl talked as they wove through the streets in town. Eventually, Rosalie turned off onto a scenic route and followed the twists and turns with ease. Asteria watched as the morning mist evolved into snowflakes that started to fall in heavy clumps. It would be a while before they stuck to the ground.

"So," Rosalie said to break the silence. "What's got you feeling murderous this morning?"

"Where do I start ," Asteria asked as she tapped her fingers against the armrest in agitation. "You know, sometimes I just need to be pissed off about things to process through it. There's nothing wrong with that."

Rosalie smiled knowingly. "Jasper try to put you in a good mood?"

"Does that man not understand how women process things," Asteria asked instead of answering.

"Welcome to the daily family dispute," Rosalie said as she eased the Camaro down a side road. Asteria got the feeling Rosalie had battled this fight half a million times.

"Where are we going, anyway," Asteria asked. The road looked slightly familiar to her, but she couldn't remember why.

"I wasn't really driving with a destination, but I think we're heading out towards Hoquiam," Rosalie said.

"Oh, I think this was the road we took to that Halloween party," Asteria said absentmindedly.

Rosalie raised her eyebrow at her. "You didn't go to that abandoned house, did you?"

"How do you know about it? Don't tell me the Cullens have partied it up with the locals before," Asteria asked.

Rosalie let out a dry laugh. "That used to be our house, you know."

That stopped Asteria in her tracks. "I'm sorry. What?"

"The last time we were in the area, before Alice and Jasper joined us, that was our house," Rosalie said. "Technically, it's still our property. We don't visit it at all though. We learned a while back that the local teenagers were using it to party, but it would draw too much attention to us to do anything about it."

"I'm sorry, I'm still trying to process this. When did you all stay here last," Asteria asked.

"It was 1936, I believe," Rosalie said. "Emmett had just joined us not long before."

"Oh, cool," Asteria said. She tried to copy Rosalie's nonchalant attitude; she knew Rosalie seemed kind of touchy about the whole vampire thing and rubbing in her age wasn't going to do Asteria any favors.

Rosalie gave her the side-eye. "That's all you have to say?"

"I don't know," Asteria said. "I'm trying to process it, but I'm trying not to annoy you. You were so cool about this whole thing-,"

"Don't mention it," Rosalie said, and Asteria could practically hear the eye-roll in her tone. Despite that, Asteria could feel a sense of camaraderie between them.

"Would you like to see the house again," Asteria asked.

"I wasn't planning on it, but I wouldn't mind," Rosalie said. "It's at least a nice drive."

The two fell back into silence as Rosalie gunned the engine now that she had a destination in mind. Asteria fiddled with her phone as she flipped through her music or texted Rachael to let her know she wouldn't be in class.

"What song is this," Rosalie asked suddenly. Asteria was so out of it she had to pause for a second to see what was playing on shuffle.

"'Leave a Trace' by CHVRCHES," Asteria said.

"I like it," Rosalie said simply.

This lead to a nice discussion about music tastes. Asteria ended up looking up and adding quite a few things to her playlist. Rosalie didn't have a specific genre that she liked, but was more than likely to listen to strong, female voices. Asteria was happy to be able to give Rosalie a few new bands to look up as well.

The drive was over before Asteria knew it. Rosalie's driving meant they had made excellent time. The gravel drive was completely empty, which was in stark contrast to the last time Asteria had seen it. She felt like she was able to look at the house in a whole new light.

"I'm sure Esme would love to come back and fix it up," Rosalie mused. "She's always loved renovations, and I'm not sure she'd like to see the current state the house is in."

The house wasn't completely forsaken, but it definitely reminded Asteria of The Fall of the House of Usher a little too much. The windows were all still intact, but the siding had started to slip off in several spots and the paint was chipped. The concrete stairs leading up to the front porch were cracked in several places and a large chunk of the bottom step was missing. Wild vines crept up the sides of the house and hung from the front porch.

"It does look a little sad, doesn't it," Asteria said.

Rosalie nodded before starting up the path. Asteria followed, not entirely sure she remembered what the inside looked like. Had she even gone in the house at any point?

"This was our sitting area," Rosalie told her absentmindedly as she took it in. "There was a settee on that far wall, and a table with chairs right here. Esme used to make beautiful flower arrangements and set them on that table." Now, the room was completely empty and trash littered the floor. Wallpaper peeled along the far wall.

"I'm sure it looked lovely," Asteria said.

"I want to see what happened to my room," Rosalie said without preamble. Asteria sensed some tension was imminent. If it looked anything like this room, she was worried about Rosalie's reaction. She followed the other girl from a healthy distance.

Rosalie was already standing in the center of the room when Asteria entered. It was mildly terrifying climbing the old steps and Asteria took them slow; she was too afraid of falling through them. The room looked fairly untouched, thankfully. An old wrought iron bed frame still stood in the corner, empty. Asteria thought that was probably a good thing; she wouldn't touch any mattress in the house with a ten foot pole.

Rosalie wiped a thick layer of dust off of the large mirror that stood in the corner. "This room used to belong to Emmett and me. In the morning, if it was clear enough, you could see the sunrise through that bay window."

"It sounds lovely," Asteria said softly.

They wandered through the rest of the house with ease, ignoring the creaks and groans. Asteria swore she heard something else moving on several occasions, and even thought she caught a raccoon or something scurrying out of sight. Rosalie told her she was just paranoid; what animal would stick around when it could sense a vampire? It didn't help the creepy feeling to the place, though.

Empty cups and bottles were all over the place, and they unfortunately found graffiti in several different spots. It was mostly names and other nonsense, but there were a few different symbols. Asteria assumed it was 'gang signs'. Not that there were any gangs in the area. Small town kids and their lack of entertainment.

"This place looks so decrepit," Rosalie said critically.

"I'm glad you said so," Asteria started, "because I have an idea. Don't get mad."

Asteria made the mistake of saying the three words that instantly puts anyone on edge. She could already see Rosalie preparing to get mad.

"What are you thinking," Rosalie asked.

"Our history project got rejected this morning," Asteria said. "Mr. Peters said it was 'too political' for school. So I decided on another route. I mean, I guess I still need to run it by Emmett, but…"

"But he'll say yes as long as he gets to have fun," Rosalie sighed. "What did you decide on?"

"I thought we could do a spoof, sort of," Asteria said. "You know all of those really awful paranormal shows?"

"I already don't like this," Rosalie said.

"Hear me out! We act like paranormal investigators researching an old house in Kentucky. We can talk about the history of what happened in the house, and just do a few fake questions with a 'ghost' responding. It's an interview with a ghost," Asteria said.

"Doesn't that seem a little morbid," Rosalie asked. "Or in poor taste?"

"I mean," Asteria said. "I thought about, and then realized it was going to go over really well for the project. Besides, it's my ancestors, and I think it's a cool way to tell their story."

Rosalie closed her eyes so tightly Asteria thought they might get stuck; she was willing to bet that Rosalie would have a headache if she were still able to get one.

"If Emmett agrees to it then I won't care," Rosalie said. "It's your project."

"So you'll still help us," Asteria asked.

"Yes," Rosalie said. "And I'm assuming you want to film here?"

"It needs to be cleaned up a bit, at least all of the trash, but yeah," Asteria said. "I think it's a good setting for it."

"One condition," Rosalie said. "Esme can't see the footage. She'd be up here renovating the house in an instant. Also, are you sure it's a good idea to be running around in an abandoned house with that thing after you?"

"I'll make another protection spell for the house," Asteria said. "Actually, I should probably make one for yours as well."

As it turned out, Emmett loved the idea. They got back just before lunch and walked with him to the cafeteria. "I can't wait," he said. "We'll have to shoot a lot of it in infrared. Maybe we can go tomorrow and try it. We'll shoot all of the beginning stuff during the day and then once the sun sets we can really start it."

"Don't you think kids might be partying there on a Saturday," Rosalie asked.

"It's far too cold," Alice said as she joined them. "You'll want to wear lots of layers, Asteria. Especially at night. I think it sounds entertaining though, to say the least."

"Alright," Asteria said. "I'm probably going to hang out with Natalie and Rachael tonight, but maybe I can come over at ten tomorrow morning and we can go over a script? I'm sure it won't be hard. Once we get the intro explaining the details around the house and one or two questions to ask the ghost, we can ad lib the rest."

"And then we can go over wardrobe details," Alice said gleefully. Asteria had no doubt Alice was going to perfect the outfits tonight, which meant all she had to do in the morning was nod and agree to put it on.

"I'll get all of the gear for it tonight," Emmett said. "We already have several cameras we can use, and I'll just go grab a couple voice recorders, another camera stand, digital thermometers, maybe one of those EMF detectors or whatever they call it-,"

"Woah, woah, woah," Asteria interrupted. "Slow down. This is just a project, we don't need all of that, and it sounds expensive."

"Relax, Asteria," Emmett laughed. "We buy things all the time, it's not going to hurt anything. Although if you're worried we can probably take it out of Alice's wardrobe budget."

"Don't you dare," Alice threatened. The two were still going back and forth and laughing when Asteria went through the line and met up with Rachael and Matt at the table.

"Where the hell were you," Rachael asked. "I had to watch Great Expectations without you, and you know it's only fun when we get to make fun of it together!"

"I'm sorry, Rosalie and I ended up skipping Chemistry today. It was gonna be super boring so we went for a drive," Asteria said.

"Oh, whatever. Next time take me with you. I was dying," Rachael said.

"I'll consider it," Asteria said playfully. Rachael balled up her sandwich wrapper and threw it across the table.

"The snow is starting to stick to the ground now," Matt said. "You know what that means."

"Natalie's gonna lose her shit as we all pelt her with snowballs," Rachael asked with glee in her eyes.


	21. The Blair Witch Project

A/N: Hello, my lovely, lovely readers! I'm so sorry for the long break! There was a lot of personal nonsense going on that I won't delve into and while my life is still crazy, it's somewhat more manageable at the moment. I'm going to try very hard to keep this thing going. The hardest part seems to be tracking down my muse and duct taping her to a chair so I can focus on writing a chapter. Anyway, this was a pretty fun one to write, so I hope it makes up for my absence!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It turns out Natalie didn't really appreciate being pelted with snowballs. Well, slushballs really. The snow was still fairly wet and didn't form a shape very well. She shrieked in the parking lot as Matt got her right in the center of her back.

"Matthew Parker Anderson," Natalie screamed at the top of her lungs. Asteria laughed as Natalie continued to yell cuss words from behind a binder.

"Oh, come on Nat," Rachael laughed as she threw one at Asteria. Asteria ducked in time and threw one back. "Enjoy life a little!"

The parking lot had turned into absolute chaos as students rushed into a snowball fight, or else to edge their cars through the icy parking lot. It appears faculty gave up and didn't bother to attempt controlling them. Asteria rushed to the relative safety of a pine tree on the edge of the lot that still allowed her to throw snowballs at Damien, who was currently giving Rachael everything he had.

Asteria successfully hit Damien dead in the chest and started laughing. Her success was short lived, though. A perfectly formed snowball hit her backpack and smashed apart, covering her whole face with wet flecks of snow. She looked over to see Emmett and put two and two together.

"That was such a cheap shot," Asteria yelled at him. "Not fair!"

"Cullen," Damien yelled. "Help me out!"

Emmett shrugged before grinning and forming another snowball. Asteria knew her position was lost and booked it through the parking lot. She slid on a patch of ice and felt her feet give out from under her. The momentum from her running meant she skidded roughly four feet and somehow ended up underneath a parked truck.

"Are you okay," Emmett asked as he offered her a hand to pull her out.

"That depends. If I take that hand are you gonna hit me with a snowball when I get up," Asteria asked.

"It's like getting a cat out of a tree. Just take the hand," Emmett said.

"Well now I'm offended. I'm just going to stay down here," Asteria said. That decision lasted all of a second before a strong arm gripped around her wrist and dragged her out from her hiding spot.

"You're alright though," Emmett asked her. Asteria was almost touched at his concern.

"Yeah, I think-," Asteria started. She hadn't even gotten the whole sentence out before he gently placed a snowball on top of her head and patted it down so it crumbled to pieces and had bits fall into the back of her shirt.

"Emmett Cullen," Asteria yelled at the top of her lungs after his retreating form. She didn't have to wait long for revenge though; he was so distracted by his own laughter he missed the snowball Jasper threw. It hit him square in the face.

"Thanks Jasper," Asteria called across the lot. She was sure it was enough with vampire hearing. He grinned at her before Emmett play punched his arm.

Soaking wet from the half-melted snow, it became a general consensus among students for the fight to come to an end.

"You know, Charlie's working a late shift tonight," Asteria said. "Why don't we all go home to change and then meet at my house for a movie night?"

"I want pajama pants, hot chocolate, and cookies," Natalie announced.

"Who are you, Mariah Carey," Damien asked her.

"Uh, no. I'm the person that has to put up with your asses, and that deserves special treatment," Natalie said.

Asteria rolled her eyes dramatically. "I think I can fulfill your demands. You have to help bake the cookies though."

"Great," Rachael said. "Burnt cookies it is."

Asteria got home and changed quickly. It worked out well that Charlie was gone so they could use the house; the protection spell at the house gave her peace of mind. She shot a quick text to Charlie explaining the plans for the night. He was pretty cool about having company over so she wasn't concerned.

Her phone buzzed and Asteria picked it up figuring it was Charlie's response. Instead there was a text from Alice. Have fun tonight. I hope you're being careful.

I'm fine, Alice. We're spending the night watching movies here. Nothing exciting, she responded.

The phone buzzed again almost immediately. Have fun! See you in the morning at ten.

Asteria could hear a car pull up outside. Based on the awful backfire of the engine, she figured it was Matt's beat up truck. The others arrived soon after, and the laborious task of agreeing on a movie was started up. Choosing a promising looking spoof horror movie, they settled in on the couch.

The sound of another car pulling in surprised them halfway through the movie, and Asteria pulled back the curtain to see the cruiser. Perks of being a small town cop: Charlie could show up wherever while on duty.

"Hey guys," Charlie said as Asteria opened the door for him.

"Hey Charlie, what's up," Asteria greeted him.

"I just wanted to drop by. See what's going on," Charlie said.

"We're just watching this awful movie. Asteria has horrible taste," Rachael said.

Charlie chuckled. "We never agree on movies either. You kids all set for the night, then?"

"Yeah, we were about to order some pizza soon. Other than that we're just going to bake some cookies and watch a few movies," Asteria said.

"Sounds great," Charlie said. He pulled a twenty dollar bill out of his wallet and gave it to Asteria.

"Hey now-," she started.

"Just save me some cookies," Charlie said. "I'll get out of your hair. Have a good night guys." He had gotten to the front door before pausing and turning back around. "Everyone goes home by eleven."

"That man is a blessing," Rachael said.

"Have you seen that mustache? The man's a legend," Damien said.

Asteria rolled her eyes before ordering a pizza. She made sure one of them was a meat lover's so she could save some for Charlie. The pizza came and went, and then Asteria insisted on watching Natalie attempt to make cookies. It was equal parts entertaining and terrifying; she had never baked before and Asteria called instructions from her spot on the couch.

"Okay, so what you want to do now is just turn the mixer on medium and then dump all of the dry ingredients in at once. Just go ahead and toss the whole thing in there. It's very important that the mixer is on first," Asteria said. The resulting scream from the kitchen was more than worth it. She fell into a fit of laughter as Natalie rounded the corner covered head to toe in flour.

"You did that on purpose," Natalie accused.

"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't," Asteria said between laughter. "But yeah, I totally did. How do you not know how to use a mixer?"

The joke was worth the twenty minutes she spent cleaning the kitchen and making a new batch of cookie dough. The rest of the night blurred by and it was a little after eleven before everyone finally hit the road.

Ten in the morning was way too early to schedule things on the weekend, Asteria had decided. Her late night with the others had meant she didn't have time to make a new dream pillow, which meant restless sleep and her nightmare plagued her. She pulled up to the Cullens' house while stifling a yawn and regretfully turned off her music. She had just gotten to the good part of 'Trouble' by Bellstop.

"Hello," Alice greeted her brightly. Asteria suppressed a glare.

"Why are you always so chipper," Asteria asked as she sipped her coffee.

Emmett laughed as he entered the room. "I have never seen Alice in a bad mood, and I don't think I want to. Anyway, let's go over everything."

They spent maybe an hour detailing out a script, showing off props and equipment, and going through Alice's wardrobe. It all went smoothly, although Asteria did have to put her foot down on some of Alice's choices.

"Over my dead body am I wearing heels," Asteria told Alice while looking her dead in the eye. "It's going to be dark. I'm going to trip, and then I'm going to get like a million splinters. No way."

"Why are you so difficult," Alice asked while carrying away the offensive heels. She returned a millisecond later with some stylish leather boots that had the smallest of heels on it. "Better?"

"By 'better', do you mean 'will you be able to navigate stairs in the dark without dying'? Because that answer is yes," Asteria said.

The two bickered good naturedly for several minutes while Emmett loaded things into the Volvo and Asteria made several protection spells. The first went around the Cullen household, and the other two went in a bag Asteria had brought. Alice gave her an odd look as Asteria steeped basil, black pepper, and garlic powder in a water bottle.

"Please tell me you don't intend to drink that," Alice said. "It looks revolting."

"You'll see," Asteria said mysteriously and refused to comment on it further.

"Are you sure you won't come with us," Alice asked Edward as he sat in the living room with a book. Asteria couldn't tell which book though, because it was in Russian.

"I'm positive," Edward said. Asteria could just barely hear the sarcasm, which she considered to be an overall improvement to his character. "Go have fun."

Alice, Jasper, and Asteria rode in the Volvo while Emmett and Rosalie elected to take the convertible. Asteria figured it might be a little too crowded if they all took the Volvo anyway. It turned into the most ridiculous game of leap frog ever as the Volvo and convertible kept passing each other while Asteria clung for life in the back seat. Alice was delusional if she thought the little Volvo was ever going to win.

"Well that was completely unnecessary," Asteria said as she closed the Volvo door. They were parked behind the convertible, which was the surest sign of defeat.

Emmett laughed from where he leaned against the convertible. "You should know better. Rose is always going to win."

"Yes, alright, you two love each other very much. Let's go inside," Asteria said. It wasn't awfully cold, but there was a wind that had kicked up and it was not very pleasant.

They went in with trash bags and started to pick up any debris that showed it was a party house. Emmett looked around the house with that same forlorn sense Rosalie had, but Alice and Jasper were unaffected. They had never been there before, after all. There wasn't much they could do about the graffiti, but they figured it added to the abandoned feeling of the house. Asteria had maybe picked up five empty bottles before the others had completely cleaned the rest of the house.

"Alright, let's set up the cameras first," Emmett said. "Asteria, do you want to put your spell up now?"

"On it," Asteria said. She grabbed her bag and spread the little satchels of herbs in each corner of the house. The candle was placed in the downstairs bathroom; with the door was closed there was no way a draft could blow it out, and it would remain out of their camera shots. She shook the water bottle full of herbs, but decided it could steep a little longer first.

"What's the water bottle for," Emmett asked.

"She refuses to say," Alice said with a hint of frustration.

"It's just something I'm working on. I'll let you know when it's ready," Asteria said. It was way more fun to let them guess anyway. "So who's reading the introduction? I elect Emmett; he has a better 'public speaking voice'."

Emmett rolled his eyes. "You just don't want to do it."

"Uh, yeah. Pretty much," Asteria said.

They waited for the wind to die down some before going outside to get a shot of the front of the house in the daylight. "The Fields house," Emmett started. "Built in 1841, it stands abandoned today in the little town of Ford, Kentucky just fifteen miles from the Battle of Richmond. During the Civil War, it saw a lot of bloodshed as both sides clashed over the border state."

"In the middle of a war torn state, Sarah Fields struggled to raise her newborn child while nursing men wounded in the fight. She was only nineteen at the time, but learned to stitch up wounds and fight off infections while her own husband joined the fight," Emmett continued. Asteria decided changing Brigid's name would be appropriate, but otherwise kept a lot of the facts as authentic as possible.

"Many soldiers passed away in this house. After Sarah's passing, it's said you could still see her moving from bedside to bedside, helping the poor souls of injured soldiers that were stuck like her. The house was abandoned in 1943, but passersby still claim to see candlelight from the windows, hear the calls of wounded soldiers, and even see Sarah at the windowsill, waiting for her husband's safe return," Emmett continued.

They added on some more facts about the Battle of Richmond, included statistics on casualties, as well as accounts of other women in Kentucky that they had previously researched. All in all, it was a good intro: definitely attention grabbing, at least.

They took a break while the sun was setting. It gave Asteria a chance to eat something while the rest of them explored the house. She was eating a bag of chips while sitting on a folding chair at their "command central" in the living room. It was something all the ghost hunting shows had, with a few laptops set up to monitor cameras and a walkie talkie to communicate.

Asteria took another bite of her chip while watching the others on the camera as they looked around upstairs. She was sure Rosalie was telling them about her time there. A floorboard creaked several times in the kitchen.

"Oh hell no," Asteria said.

"What," Alice called from the top of the stairs. Asteria forgot they would be able to hear her.

"I told you there was a raccoon or something in here," Asteria called up at Rosalie.

"I don't smell anything," Alice said as she joined her.

"Didn't you hear that sound from the kitchen," Asteria asked.

"No," Jasper said while joining them. "But we weren't paying too close of attention. Maybe it was just the house settling."

"If I see a mouse or something," Asteria started.

Jasper grinned. "Afraid of some little mice?"

"They carried the plague, which killed twenty five million people," Asteria countered. "So yeah, they have kind of a high body count."

Emmett laughed as he joined them. "If I see one, I'll get rid of it for you."

"Why do I not trust you," Asteria asked him with a suspicious look.

"Because you're smart," Alice said.

"I'm glad you say that, because it's time to show my excellent idea," Asteria said. She decided it was officially time to prepare her secret weapon and brought out the water bottle. Asteria shook it up a bit before grabbing the water gun she used back in September with Natalie and Rachael.

"What exactly are you going to do with that," Rosalie asked.

"Well, the idea is to shoot the spell straight at the entity," Asteria said. "It should be strong enough to at least weaken the thing."

"Was this in your book of shadows," Alice asked her with furrowed brows.

"Uh, no. I came up with this the other night when I couldn't sleep, but it sounds promising," Asteria said. "I feel like it's gonna work."

"Let's just hope you don't have to use it," Rosalie said critically.

"Alright, I guess it's time for the plan," Emmett said. "Rose and I will be team one. Alice and Asteria are team two. Jasper will be the tech guy at command central. We'll get a few shots of us walking around the house, ask a few questions, and then when we edit the footage we can add in a few responses."

"Who came up with this idea in the first place," Asteria asked.

"I believe it was you," Rosalie said wryly.

"Oh, yeah. Talk me out of it next time," Asteria said as she looked around the house with potential disease carrying rodents.

Emmett laughed. "Alright, I guess we'll break it up from here. Remember, the camera's are in the kitchen, the parlor, bedroom one at the top of the stairs, and bedroom three along the south wall upstairs, plus the one at command central."

Alice and Asteria elected to go into the kitchen, much to Asteria's displeasure. "There's really not a mouse in here, I promise. I would know," Alice told her.

"Fine," Asteria sighed before clearing her throat and speaking louder into the voice recorder they were using as a prop. "Is there anyone here with us?"

She paused for a decent time before continuing. "If you're here, could you give us a sign?" Two distinct knocks rang out, and Asteria jumped for a second before realizing Jasper was probably just helping them out a bit.

"Woah, okay," Asteria played along. "Can you-,"

"Hey, team two," Jasper said. "That wasn't me."

Alice and Asteria exchanged looks before going back to command central. "That wasn't you," Alice asked.

"I can't tell if you're acting or not," Asteria said.

"I'm honestly not," Jasper said.

"It wasn't us," Rosalie called from the top of the stairs.

"If someone is trying to pull a prank right now I'm gonna throw my shoe at them," Asteria said.

"What do we do now," Alice asked.

"We've already got most of it; let's just finish up our filming and get out of here," Emmett said. "It was probably just the house making noise."

"Okay, this sounds super," Asteria said.

"This was your idea," Emmett pointed out once again.

"Please stop pointing that out like you aren't equally responsible for going along with it," Asteria said.

They made their way back to the kitchen. "What's your name," Asteria asked. She paused for a shorter length of time before adding, "Why are you stuck here?"

"Sarah," Alice called out. "are you here? Can you tell us what it was like to have all those soldiers in your house?"

Asteria thought she saw a hint of grayish white move out of the corner of her eye and whipped her head around. "Did you see that," she asked Alice.

Alice shook her head.

"I think I saw someone," Asteria said as she tried to shake the weird feelings. "Who are you?" At this point it felt dead stupid to be asking more questions, but somehow their fake investigation had become real.

"Team two," Jasper said. "I think we got something on the video."

Emmett and Rosalie were coming down the stairs as they all met in command central. Jasper played back the video from a minute ago and you could see the blur of grey at the edge of the camera as it blinked in and out of disappearance.

"Holy shit," Emmett cussed.

"My spell is keeping evil out, I'm sure of it," Asteria said. "Whoever this is, I think it might be an actual trapped spirit."

"What are we supposed to do," Alice asked.

"I think we should keep going," Asteria said. "Do we have all the footage we need to make the video?"

"We got enough usable shots," Emmett said.

"Alright," Asteria said. "I guess we're doing this thing for real now."

"Is that a good idea," Jasper asked.

"Well, we know whatever's in here isn't bad, so they must be lost," Asteria said. "I was reading through Ailis' accounts in the book of shadows, and she had a few run ins with lost spirits. Most of the time she was able to help them pass on."

"Pass on? To where," Rosalie asked skeptically.

"Listen, we've got like five different things going on right now," Asteria said. "A healthy debate over spiritual belief isn't going to help."

Asteria pulled her bag out again; thankfully she had packed quite a few witchy essentials for her spells at the Cullen house so she was well stocked.

"Alright," Asteria said. "It's time to go full Ghost Adventures."


	22. Little Shop of Horrors

A/N: Thank you everyone for your support, as always. Yes, I'm still trying to update this story. Please bear with me as I try to awaken my muse from her coma.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Are you going to set it up like last time," Alice asked, referring to the séance at the Cullen house.

"Definitely not," Asteria said. She didn't want to get into it, in case there were ghostly ears listening in, but she wasn't about to give spirits she didn't know a full platform to speak or act. Just because they weren't evil didn't mean she trusted them. "I think we're going to have to do this a different way."

Asteria grabbed a permanent marker from her bag and an old board that had been pried loose and proceeded to write out a Ouija board from scratch.

"I'm sorry, isn't that the biggest mistake they make in horror movies," Emmett asked.

Asteria rolled her eyes. "It's brand new, so there's no energy attached to it, and since the house is free of evil nothing bad can get to it. It's one of the safest forms of communication for them right now."

"Didn't Ailis specifically tell you not to do things like this," Alice asked her.

"Huh, I don't know. Memory's kinda fuzzy," Asteria said as she continued to draw. She could sense Alice's stern look and finally looked up. "Look, I know what Ailis said, but my intuition is telling me to do this. I just feel like they're connected to this entity, or can tell me about it at least. Please let me follow this." She couldn't use the Ouija board by herself, after all.

"Fine," Alice said. "But if at any point it doesn't feel right, we stop."

Jasper cleared off command central and moved the folding table into the kitchen, since it seemed like where everything was happening. Alice, Jasper, and Asteria sat around the Ouija board. Emmett and Rosalie elected not to, as there wasn't enough chairs and they were being giant babies about the whole thing, in Asteria's opinion.

"Okay, just keep a finger on the bottle cap loosely and let it get dragged around," Asteria told them as they got started.

"Is there anyone there," Asteria asked. The cap moved over to 'yes'.

"Can you tell us your name," Alice asked. The cap moved slowly from one letter to another, finally spelling out E-M-I-L-Y.

"Why are you stuck here, Emily," Asteria asked. The cap moved quicker this time, spelling out I-T.

They all exchanged brief looks.

"The dark entity that I've seen, is it keeping you here," Asteria asked. The cap moved to 'yes'.

"How did it get here? Do you know," Asteria asked. The cap spelled out W-A-L-L.

"Which wall," Jasper asked. The cap didn't move for quite a while, before finally moving to the very edge of the board past the letters. Asteria was slightly frustrated, but quickly realized they were moving to the closest wall. It had graffiti all over it.

"Emily," Asteria said. "Are there any others trapped here?" The cap moved slowly to the number five.

"Alright," Asteria said. "This is a safe place right now. Evil can't get in here. That means you all have a chance to leave, to move on and be at peace. Do you think that's something you can do?" The cap moved slowly over to 'yes'.

"Okay, I'm going to light a candle to help you, and I want you to focus on that light and warmth. It's going to help you move on," Asteria said. She moved the cap to 'goodbye' before standing and lighting the spare white candle she had brought.

"It's okay now. Be free," Asteria called out. There was a gust of air and then the candle's flame sputtered for several seconds.

"Can you feel that," she asked Jasper. He shook his head, so she frowned and took off her pendant momentarily. There was such a genuine feeling of peace and happiness, left from their spirits departing. She let Jasper soak it in for a moment before putting it back on.

"There's something you don't see every day," Emmett said.

"Well, this has been a weird night. I say we pack up and get the hell out of here," Asteria said. The others raced through the house while she packed up her belongings. She took a second to take pictures of the wall Emily's spirit had pointed out.

It was almost midnight by the time they arrived back at the Cullen house. Thankfully Alice had insisted Asteria spend the night, so all of her belongings were already at the house.

"It's so late," Esme scolded. "Did you get the project done?"

"And then some," Rosalie said. Edward was over to them in a flash as he presumably read someone's mind of the events.

"See? Don't you wish you had gone now," Asteria asked him.

"Now what trouble did you kids get into," Carlisle asked instead of greeting.

"Oh, just worked on the project…had a real paranormal investigation, used a Ouija board to communicate with the dead, and then helped them pass on," Alice said as nonchalantly as she could.

"Wow, when you put it that way I sound like a bad influence," Asteria said.

Carlisle looked at them all in exasperation. "If my hair could turn gray, it would be completely silver by now."

"What were you thinking," Esme scolded more seriously this time. "You could have gotten into serious trouble. And I thought you were warned stay away from spirits?"

Getting scolded by Esme was a hundred times more terrifying than Asteria had ever thought it would be. She hoped this was the first and last time.

"I'm sorry," Asteria said. "I just had this feeling I was supposed to help them, and since the spell I did cleared the house of evil I knew they were just lost souls."

"We did learn a few things," Jasper said. "The entity was tied to the house. It was keeping those spirits there."

Asteria nodded. "That must have been where it saw me, during that Halloween party. And I'm beginning to put together how it got here. Could someone grab my overnight bag?" Alice was standing in front of her with it before she had even finished the sentence.

"Thanks," Asteria said as she grabbed her book of shadows out of it. She rifled through the pages as she talked. "There was something I had seen in Lorna's writing. She had a lot to do with banishing spirits as well. Something about it caught my eye."

She finally found the page she was looking for and flipped it around to show the Cullens. "She said that sometimes people can create portals, doorways into our world. Emily's spirit pointed out a wall in the kitchen that had graffiti on it. I'm willing to bet that one of those symbols was actually a doorway."

"You think that some teenager with a spray can tried to create a doorway to Hell," Rosalie asked.

"I think teenagers are stupid and don't understand what they're doing," Asteria said.

"Fair enough," Edward said. "Do you know how to get rid of it then?"

Asteria pulled the book of shadows back around to face her while flipping through it. "Having the portal it came through definitely helps, but it's a little more complicated. Banishings are difficult and messy. This thing seems to have quite a bit of power too. I think I successfully weakened it tonight though."

"What do you mean," Carlisle asked.

"Entities that have never lived can't exist in our world for long. They need that bridge to the other side. That protection spell has cut it off for as long as the spell is in effect. The candle was blown out before we left, but it charged up the spell with enough energy for several days," Asteria said. "And, I believe it held those spirits there as another source of energy."

"So what you're saying is that you've succeeded in making the entity madder at you," Alice said. "And now you still don't have a way to get rid of it."

Asteria bit her lip for a second while trying to think of an answer that would plausibly deny it. "Yes," she finally answered. "But if we can get through the next couple of days, its power is only going to drain. In the long run, this is going to help."

"In the mean time, maybe you should focus on protecting yourself," Jasper said.

Asteria pulled the squirt gun out of her back pocket and squeezed a little water out. "On it."

Esme wrinkled her nose. "What is in there?"

"Entity repellent," Asteria said. "I'm feeling really good about this."

"Maybe you should get some sleep," Esme said. "We can talk about this in the morning."

Esme had apparently caught on to the yawn Asteria was trying to repress. "Yeah, I guess that's a good idea," Asteria said.

Asteria went upstairs to go through her usual evening routine and found a different, new pair of pajamas waiting for her when she entered the room. "Alice," she called out. She meant to sound exasperated, but was too tired to capture that emotion.

"Before you say anything, feel how soft they are," Alice called back from a safe distance.

Asteria reluctantly felt the plush material. She had a feeling it was going to be the comfiest she had ever been. "I wanna be mad, but I'm tired and they're really nice."

"You're welcome," Alice called back with a laugh.

Asteria got changed as quickly as her tired body would allow her. Sometime between their conversation in the living room and changing her clothes exhaustion had set in. She crawled in the bed and tried to ignore how expensive the sheets felt.

"Good night," Asteria called out, knowing everyone could hear her. She got a few responses as she closed her eyes. Feeling like a burrito of warmth, Asteria didn't take long to go down.

Humid, stagnant air clung to her skin. Asteria wandered through her uncle Liam's house to the sliding glass door of the patio, bumping into elbows everywhere as the house was filled to capacity. The door had been left wide open as people filtered in and out. Empty plastic cups were kicked around at her feet. It was hard to hear anything as the heavy bass thumped so loud Asteria could feel the vibration.

She wandered further into the backyard, stumbling into a freshman in her way. Her head buzzed louder than the music and her feet weren't working right. A voice called above the music to hop the fence and get in the neighbor's pool. Asteria knew this was a bad idea, but couldn't remember why.

A hand gripped onto her wrist and she tried to say 'no', but was having trouble getting it out. They tugged her along to the fence and helped her hop it. She tried again, over and over, to say 'no'. The hand left her wrist and grabbed both shoulders now. 'No', she tried again, but now the hands were gently shaking her-

Asteria sat bolt upright in bed breathing hard. It took a bit to orient herself to the unfamiliar room. She looked at Carlisle as he kept his hands on her shoulders to keep her steady.

"Asteria, it's alright now," he said soothingly. "I believe you were having a nightmare again."

Asteria just nodded and pushed herself up further in bed. Carlisle grabbed a glass of water and handed it to her.

"Do you have nightmares often," Carlisle asked her.

"Sometimes," Asteria said as she finished taking a drink. "I had made a dream pillow a while back that prevented a lot of it, but when the entity broke in it stole that too."

"Was it about that party again," Alice asked softly. She hadn't noticed her standing in the corner of the room.

Asteria hesitated for a second. "Yeah, it was."

"Do you want to talk about it," Alice asked.

"Not particularly," Asteria said.

She could see the gears turning in Alice's head as she processed her answer. It must have taken a great deal of effort for her to say, "Okay. Whenever you do, I'm here."

Asteria nodded. "Thanks. What time is it?"

"It's about six thirty," Carlisle responded. "You should try going back to sleep."

"No, I'm up for the day," Asteria sighed. She knew that was as good as it was going to get.

"Is your sleep pattern disrupted like this a lot," Carlisle asked.

"Only without that dream pillow," Asteria said bitterly.

"We can make a new one today," Alice suggested. "I was thinking that you might want to make a few more spells today anyway."

"Yeah, that sounds good," Asteria said. "I think I'm going to take a shower."

"Esme will have breakfast ready when you get dressed," Carlisle said.

"Esme's really missing out on the opportunity to open a restaurant," Asteria said. "And I'm talking about a Michelin star rating."

Carlisle chuckled. "She says thank you." Asteria guessed she could hear her from downstairs.

Asteria kept her shower quick before brushing her teeth and putting on some makeup. She had plans for the day, even if the Cullens didn't know it yet.

"That looks amazing, Esme," Asteria said as she sat down at the kitchen table.

As usual, Esme had gone overboard and made enough food to feed a family of four.

"Thank you, dear," Esme laughed.

"So, what did you want to do first," Alice asked as she entered the kitchen.

Asteria had just taken a forkful of pancakes, which left Esme to answer for her. "Eat breakfast in peace, I'm sure."

"Sorry Esme," Alice told her as she took a seat at the kitchen table to watch Asteria finish her food.

"Actually, I was thinking I might need to go for a bit of a drive," Asteria started.

"You want to go back to the house," Alice asked.

"I mean, eventually we should go back and recharge the spell to keep it at bay, but that's not what I had in mind. There are a lot of ingredients in the spells that I don't have access to, and I was wondering if Port Angeles might have a shop specializing in it," Asteria said.

"I don't think they do," Alice said thoughtfully. "We'd better go to Seattle just to be sure."

"Be careful when you go," Esme warned them.

"Of course," Asteria said.

It ended up being just Asteria, Alice, Edward and Jasper to make the journey to Seattle. Edward's presence surprised her, but Asteria figured he didn't want to miss out on anything unusual like he had the night before. Rosalie and Emmett elected to go for a hunt instead, and Carlisle and Esme were going to spend the day together. On second thought, maybe Edward just didn't want to be a third wheel somewhere.

Edward drove, which was somehow scarier than Alice's driving. He sped through the town and onto the interstate at breakneck speeds.

"The biggest injustice in the world has to be your lack of speeding tickets," Asteria said.

Edward grinned. "It's easy to avoid cops when you can hear their thoughts. And Alice can keep an eye out for them."

"Cheaters," Asteria grumbled from her spot in the back next to Alice, who laughed at her.

"Have you gotten any tickets," Alice asked her.

"Oh, no. Cops find me endearing," Asteria said.

Edward snorted loudly.

"Very nice. I'll add that to your list of other attractive qualities," Asteria said to him sarcastically.

"I can't help it when you're so amusing," Edward said.

"Keep laughing, Chuckles. Just get us there in one piece," Asteria responded.

The drive flew by quickly; of course, it was hard for it not to with Edward's driving and Alice talking the whole way. They were in Seattle before eleven. Alice directed them to the nearest holistic shop, which looked like some sort of half health food, half bookstore hybrid from the outside. Asteria was very intrigued to go inside.

"Five bucks says they're gonna be playing some weird meditation music in there," Asteria said.

"I'm not taking that bet," Edward said smugly.

"Cheater," Asteria said to him.

Asteria wasn't sure, but it sounded like rain mixed with flutes as she entered the store. Instead of a little door buzzer to alert staff someone had entered, they had hung annoyingly loud wind chimes that Asteria immediately bumped into and had to be detangled from by Alice. Jasper hid his laughter with a cough, but Edward did nothing to hide his grin.

"Okay, I'm ready to go now. Nice trip," Asteria said.

Alice rolled her eyes. "We just got here. Take a look around. See if you can find what you were looking for."

Asteria sighed heavily and made her way around to the bookshelf closest. It had an eclectic mix of books with absolutely no rhyme or reason to their arrangement. She picked up a leather bound book about Norse mythology and flipped through the pages.

"Hello there! Feel free to look around, and ask questions about anything you'd like. My name is Delia if you need me," a voice said from behind her.

"Thank you," Asteria said while turning around to look at the woman. She didn't look much older than Asteria, with her long blonde hair down in loose curls and a sweet looking face. Not at all what Asteria had been expecting before entering the store.

"Actually, we were looking for herbs," Edward said.

"Oh, right this way then," Delia said and lead them to the other side of the store. Rows and rows of huge jars lined the wall. "Looking for anything in particular?"

"Not really, just sort of browsing," Asteria said.

"Alright," Delia said with a grin. "Just shout if you need anything else."

Asteria spent the next few minutes reading labels and pointing out different herbs she'd need for her spells, including ones she was running low on. She didn't bother trying to grab anything herself; the others moved too fast to let her grab anything. Soon she had a basketful of perfectly labeled herbs.

They were walking over to the checkout when she paused to look at a shelf with different crystals and stones on it. Asteria picked up a chunk of amethyst when the song changed overhead.

"Is this Delta Rae," Asteria asked surprised.

"Yeah," Delia said as she popped into view around the corner. "It's called 'I Will Never Die'. It's about a witch being sentenced during the Trials. My grandma runs the store, but I've convinced her to update the music a bit."

"You can only listen to bird calls and flutes for so long," Asteria jokingly agreed.

"So, you practice," Delia asked.

"I'm sorry, what," Asteria asked her.

"Well, one of you must. Nobody buys Angelica root to make tea," Delia said.

"Are you a witch," Alice asked.

"I'm Wiccan," Delia said. "Although I've never had much luck with anything but the occasional tarot reading. My grandma is much better than I am."

"I'm a sensitive, nothing more," an older woman said as she came out of what looked to be a back office. "I can talk to a spirit every now and then, or get a funny feeling in these old bones, but I'm no witch. Not like this one." She nodded toward Asteria, who raised her eyebrows.

"Your friends have something not right about them," the old woman said as she squinted at Edward.

"Grandma," Delia hissed at her.

"It's fine. I think that about them a lot too," Asteria joked. Alice gently elbowed her.

"But you, my dear," the old woman said turning back to her, "I sense a dark cloud around you. There's something sinister following you."

"Uh, yes actually," Asteria said. "How did you-,"

"I'm a sensitive, dear," the old woman said. "I can pick up on the energy around you. Whatever it is isn't here, but it's left traces on your aura. Like fingerprints." The old woman started to walk away, and Asteria shared a look with Alice before following after her.

"This," the old woman said while holding up a bag of powder, "should help. It's an incense mix meant to cleanse your aura. It'll help clear things up. You should mix some cumin with salt and scatter it across the floor as well. It makes it harder for evil to manifest there; it won't touch it."

"Thank you, I guess," Asteria said as she took the bag from her.

The old woman just nodded to herself as she walked back to her office. "Oh, Delia dear," she called over her shoulder, "give the incense to her for free. She's going to need it."

"Yeah, grandma," Delia yelled back as she shook her head and lead them to the cash register. "That old woman, I love her but she's got a screw loose sometimes. Sorry if she offended you."

"It's quite alright," Edward said as he suppressed a smile. Asteria had a feeling the old woman's eccentric thoughts more than made up for it.

Asteria pulled out her card to swipe through the reader just as Delia was handing her the receipt instead. She looked around confused as she saw Jasper already grabbing the bags.

"You'll have to be quicker than that," Alice said smugly.

Asteria sighed. "I can't take you people anywhere."

Delia grinned at their back and forth. "Come back soon! And good luck with the negative energy. I hope it works out for you."

"Yeah, me too," Asteria said with a hint of sarcasm. It was weird to be discussing it so openly with a stranger, like they were just discussing the weather or something.

Asteria waited until everyone was settled into the Volvo and it was on the road before saying, "you know, as far as weird occult shops go, that was pleasant."


	23. Of Course It's Monday

A/N: Hello again, everyone! Thank you once again for all the support. Here's a new chapter, I hope you guys like it! I'm slowly, surely trying to adjust to a new schedule. I'm so sorry for the sporadic updates. I promise this story is still very dear to my heart and I will keep working on it.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Asteria really wanted to hate Monday morning when it came around. It would have been easy to say screw it and pull the covers higher, but sunlight streamed through the window making it a little too bright to go back to sleep. Yawning, Asteria gave up and did her makeup while drinking coffee in a feeble attempt to wake up.

Charlie was still downstairs when Asteria finished up.

"What are you still doing home," Asteria asked him. Usually the chief was long gone.

"I had to switch shifts, I'm going to be pulling a late night tonight so that Mark can go out for his anniversary with his wife," Charlie said as he looked through the morning paper.

"So," Asteria said, dragging out the word. "You got up this early…voluntarily?"

Charlie chuckled. "You know, some people like getting up this early."

"Who," Asteria asked. "Where are they? Why?"

"Keep asking questions and you're gonna be late to school," Charlie said.

"That's kind of the point," Asteria said. "It's called stalling, if you'd like I can go into it more in depth for you."

"I keep waiting for a call from your teachers about that sarcasm of yours," Charlie said as he continued reading.

"Nonsense," Asteria said. "Everyone finds me endearing. I'm a national treasure."

"National treasures can still be late for school," Charlie said while flipping a page. "You should get going."

"Ugh," Asteria sighed. "You take all of the fun out of stalling. And it's still early in the morning, there's not a lot of fun to spare."

"Have a good day at school, kiddo," Charlie said. "You'll probably be in bed by the time I come home from work. There's food in the fridge for dinner, or I can leave some money for pizza."

"I'm not sure what I'm doing for dinner, if you're not going to be here I may see if someone wants to come over to study. Just Natalie and Rachael, or something," Asteria added as she saw Charlie almost object. "No boys."

"Alright, just be safe," Charlie said.

Asteria smiled. "When am I ever not?"

It wasn't until Asteria pulled into the parking lot blasting "Way Down We Go" by Kaleo that she realized the Cullens would be skipping. How ridiculously unfair of them. She would have to suffer through her morning classes alone, except for Rachael. Was it even worth going in? It wasn't too late to turn around and go back home…until Asteria realized Charlie would still be there.

Sighing dramatically, Asteria grabbed her things and headed towards history, where everyone else would be getting into groups one last time to get their projects ready to present for the rest of the week. She would have to just read a book or something.

"No Emmett again today," Mr. Peters asked her as he took morning attendance.

"Looks like it," Asteria replied bored.

"I hope your project is done," Mr. Peters said.

"Oh, its…finished, probably," Asteria said. She had no doubt Emmett had already finished editing it. "Emmett will be back to help present it, don't worry."

"If not, he's dropping a whole letter grade," Mr. Peters warned her. "Make sure he's here."

"Will do," Asteria replied before pulling out her journal. She went over the last entry she had made in Gaelic and added a few notes here and there. Belatedly, she realized she needed to add something of her own. Technically, Asteria had come up with her own spell to add to the book of shadows when she made the water gun steeped with herbs. Of course, there was no way of telling whether or not it worked. Maybe she'd hold off on that.

Asteria glanced over her notes on Ailis' interactions with spirits, and then flipped through to Lorna. She had skipped over a lot of the book to find what was relevant, but would eventually go back. The most important thing was finding a way to get rid of the entity.

Unsurprisingly, none of the entries she had copied had been much help. It looked like both of her ancestors had dealt with difficult spirits before, but not whatever the black mass was. Lorna was a little more help, at least. She seemed to have made several friends in the world of the macabre, and had at least a few second hand stories to go by.

Lorna was the one that had recommended the enchanted amethyst to detect evil. It seemed to be a trick she had picked up from some friend in Mississippi. Lorna talked about having parties with an 'eclectic crowd', which Asteria assumed was code for 'witch coven', or something of the sort. She tried to imagine a party filled with people like the old woman at the shop in Seattle and snickered a little.

Her favorite part about reading Lorna's section of the book was the other woman's personality. She seemed like the kind of person Asteria wouldn't mind sitting down and hearing a few stories from. It was a gold mine of inappropriate stories, and seemed to be where Asteria got her reckless behavior from. From her understanding, Great Grandma Lorna had died when Asteria was only two. It was a shame, she would have loved to have some memory of the woman that recounted hot wiring her own car because she snuck out in the middle of the night and lost her car keys.

History class passed into Chemistry, which was equally boring. English was a little better with Rachael, who was all too happy to distract Asteria. They were just finishing watching Great Expectations and used the louder scenes of the movie to cover the sound of their talking.

"So what did you do this weekend anyway," Rachael asked. "You said you had to work on that history project with Emmett but it couldn't have taken all weekend."

"It kind of did. We worked on it all day Saturday and then I spent the night," Asteria said.

"Oooh," Rachael said.

"Very funny," Asteria said sarcastically. "Actually, not funny. Rosalie would kill me in a heartbeat."

"Aren't you friends with her too, though," Rachael asked.

"I mean, yeah, but I don't think she'd appreciate the gossip," Asteria said. "Anyway, I slept in Alice's room." And Jasper's too, technically, but Asteria didn't exactly want to say that out loud. "We went shopping on Sunday together."

"Nice, did you buy anything good," Rachael asked.

"Uh," Asteria said. For some reason 'herbs for a spell to banish unholy evil' didn't seem to quite roll off the tongue. However, it was physically impossible for Alice to go into town without shopping so they did manage to hit one or two stores before heading back to Forks. "I got a few new shirts."

"Awesome," Rachael said. "I heard there's supposed to be some big party in Hoquiam next weekend. It's the perfect time for a new wardrobe."

"Fantastic," Asteria replied. Not that she'd be able to go. How was she supposed to party with some weird evil supernatural force out to get her? It wasn't fair; Cinderella still got to go to the ball, and she didn't have to deal with any of this nonsense.

"Someone doesn't seem very enthused," Rachael said dryly. "What's the matter? Is the chief finally cracking down on you?"

"What? No, Charlie's great. I'm just wondering if going to a party out in Hoquiam is a good idea," Asteria replied.

"Are you sure you're okay? No offense, but you've been acting a little off lately," Rachael said. It looked like she was actually concerned. It was touching, but not something Asteria was able to address at the moment.

"Yeah, I guess I'm just getting stressed out," Asteria said.

"I get it," Rachael said sympathetically. "Finals will be here before you know it, and the holidays are about to start. It's a rough time of year."

Asteria nodded, completely having forgotten about both of those stressors that she could now add to the growing pile.

"Hey, maybe we can have a fun girls' night at some point," Rachael said. "Just you, me, and Natalie. We'll do cliché girl stuff like face masks and eat our body weight in pizza."

"What about the part where we sacrifice a boy and sell his kidneys on ebay," Asteria asked.

"Well, yeah obviously," Rachael whispered. "But we don't say that part out loud."

She spent the rest of the hour half heartedly replying to Rachael's enthusiasm as her mind went in and out of possibilities. Was she going to go to the party? Would the evil entity be gone by then? Would she ever manage being a teenager and a witch at the same time?

By the time fourth period rolled around, Asteria knew she'd be skipping Spanish. There was nothing that could hold her interest, and working away at verbs for a whole hour seemed like a waste of time. Besides, with no Alice in class it wasn't like she'd be getting in trouble.

Asteria sat in her car and flipped through different songs, but couldn't seem to focus on anything in particular. She felt restless, like her whole body couldn't seem to hold still. Frustrated, Asteria got out of the car and grabbed her headphones. She wouldn't walk far, since lunch was only twenty minutes away, but it would be enough to calm her down a bit.

The trees were peaceful by the school. A few birds flew around overhead and caused near constant chirping, but it wasn't unpleasant. Not a lot of wildlife chose to be around a noisy school. Asteria watched two squirrels chasing each other around in the treetops as she made her way down a mulched trail. She assumed the track team ran along this trail while they practiced.

Asteria flipped through her phone, idly checking her messages and going through her apps. She changed every song before it completed itself; she couldn't find the right one to fit her mood and it was aggravating.

She was just about to give up her search for the perfect song as she flipped through when she noticed something. The birds had stopped making noise. Looking around the treetops, she couldn't find a single creature moving around. The sky had finally clouded over, and yet Asteria could still see something glittering in her peripheral vision. With a sinking feeling, Asteria looked at the amethyst ring on her finger and realized it wasn't sunlight glinting off the crystal like she had dismissed it as; the ring was glowing to warn her that evil was nearby.

Cursing, Asteria turned on her heel and ran as fast as she could down that mulched trail. Of course, she had to be a stubborn pain in the ass that did whatever she wanted. When this was all over, she was going to have to take a serious look at her life choices.

Surprisingly, Asteria was making good time for someone that only ran in life threatening situations. Maybe if she had something trying to kill her more often she'd finally try out for the track team. Those sarcastic thoughts kept her going as she ran to the safety of her car. She could just make it out as the trees started thinning when the air around her started to feel colder.

Every scary movie she had ever watched trained her for this moment. Asteria instinctively knew the entity was about to pop up, and she propelled herself forward. Hurdling herself into the side of her own car with the grace of a two year old practicing karate, Asteria pried open her door and searched frantically for the water gun still filled with her makeshift potion.

The cold surrounding her became worse. It was Asteria's only warning before feeling a sharp, searing pain spread from her right shoulder down to her left hip. Crying out, Asteria lunged forward across the backseat and just managed to grab the handle of the gun when something cold locked around her ankle and dragged her out of her own car.

Asteria fell hard onto the asphalt and rolled over to face the entity. She could only describe it as the absence of light. It was like an oppressive, swirling mass of shadow that looked nearly opaque.

"Fuck off," was the only witty thing Asteria could manage to say as she pulled the trigger and squirted the entity. It was certainly not the cinematic, highly suspenseful scene Asteria had envisioned, but there was a satisfying sizzling noise as the water made contact with the swirling shadows. There was a hissing noise, and then the shadows seemed to dissipate.

Coughing from having the breath knocked out of her, Asteria sat up and brushed herself off. Tossing the water gun into her backseat, she took a second to check herself out in the Camaro's side view mirrors. Her clothes were a little messy from her run through the trees, but otherwise okay. Still, her back was screaming in pain as she continued to feel a burning sensation.

Pulling aside the top of her sweater, Asteria was able to see three distinct claw marks start at the top of her right shoulder. She had no doubt they went all the way down to her hip. It looked like they were still bleeding slightly. Cussing, Asteria touched the tip of one of the scratches and looked at the blood on her fingertips.

Asteria was so busy cursing her luck that by the time she looked back in the mirror, it was too late to notice the swirling mass of black reforming. Whipping her head around, she was just able to see it face to face before she was blasted off her feet by a strong force. She remembered flying through the air, and then there was nothing.


	24. Just a Flesh Wound

A/N: ...um, sorry? Does sorry cover it? Double sorry? Guys I'm not good at motivating myself through writer's block, and I rewrote this chapter going half a dozen different directions before I finally found one that worked for me. So uh, yeah. In conclusion I'm very sorry. Thank you so much to everyone for being interested in this story and putting up with my sporadic uploads.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I swear to god Asteria, wake up," she heard someone yell. Apparently the shaking she felt wasn't an earthquake; someone had grabbed both of her shoulders and was shaking her like a Polaroid picture.

"Fuck off," Asteria mumbled while twisting to the side to avoid the nuisance. Unfortunately, this action made flames shoot up her back painfully. She hissed and straightened out.

"Asteria, if you don't open your god damn eyes this second, I'm calling an ambulance and Charlie," Natalie threatened again. This, combined with the searing pain she felt, was all the prompting she needed.

"What's going on," Asteria asked groggily.

"You fucking tell me," Natalie hissed with a hint of hysteria in her voice. "I came out here looking for you and found you unconscious and covered in blood!"

"Oh," was Asteria's brilliant response. She slowly sat up and tried to think back on what happened. The only thing she could remember was running through the woods. Besides the burning on her back, she could feel a vague throbbing in her head that meant she must have taken one for the team.

"I think you need an ambulance anyway," Natalie said. "I was about to get someone but I didn't know-"

"No, you can't," Asteria said with as much authority as she could get in a voice that sounded like it belonged to a 72 year old chain smoker. She thought of the first thing she could. "I'm drunk. I'm so drunk right now."

"Damn it," Natalie said. "I was afraid of that. Now what?"

"I think I'm okay," Asteria said. "I don't need stitches, it just hurts. I just need to get home."

Natalie sighed while closing her eyes. "Okay, here's what we're gonna do. I'm going to put you in the passenger seat of your car and grab Rachael. Then I'm driving your car home and Rachael will follow in hers. Just stay awake in here while I get her."

"Will do," Asteria said with a mock salute. For not being drunk she was doing a fantastic job at acting.

While sitting in the car Asteria was struck with a vague feeling that she was overlooking something. Shrugging, she tried to remember back. There was the woods, and running, and it was so nice and….

"God damn it, Asteria," Natalie's voice woke her up again, along with the slamming of a car door.

"Ow, can you not," Asteria groaned.

"Just stay awake," Natalie said. She sounded irritated.

"I'm sorry," Asteria said, but it sounded more like a slur. Funny, she was better at acting drunk than she thought. "Are you mad at me?"

"Uh, well," Natalie said while pulling out of the school parking lot and not making eye contact. "I'm super curious about why you're covered in blood, but I'm not mad. Definitely worried."

"Don't be worried," Asteria said after a full ten second pause. "I think I just need to sleep."

"I swear to god if you try to fall asleep one more damn time I'm throwing you out of this vehicle," Natalie said.

"Okie dokie," Asteria said. "Guess I'll stay awake."

The ride was short, but thankfully she managed to keep her eyes open. Charlie was on duty at the moment, so as long as he didn't drive by the house she'd be fine. They pulled up and Asteria went to climb out of the vehicle but Natalie stopped her.

"Just stay here, I'm grabbing your stuff and taking you to my house. My parents are gone again for work so no one will catch us. I don't want Charlie dropping by and catching us," Natalie said.

Asteria sat in her seat drumming her fingers against her legs when Rachael walked up and tapped on the window. She hadn't even noticed her pull up behind them.

"Hey, Rachael," Asteria said while dragging out several syllables unnecessarily. "What's up?"

"Jesus, what happened to you," Rachael asked.

"Uh, great question. As soon as I remember you'll be the first to know," Asteria said. "Hey, don't look sad. We're all queens, we don't have time to be sad."

"Did you hit your head as well," Rachael asked her.

"No. Maybe. I don't know, everything is a little fuzzy," Asteria said.

"Oh no. Let's get you cleaned up first. We might still need to take you to the hospital," Rachael said.

"That's not fun," Asteria said.

Natalie came out of the house holding a bag and Asteria watched as Rachael walked over to her and the two girls whispered together. Rude, Asteria thought. The two turned to look at her and she meekly waved to them.

Rachael walked back to her car and Natalie climbed back in the driver's seat. "First things first, we need to get you to my house and clean you up."

"That's fun, like a makeover," Asteria said. "What comes after that?"

"We'll see," Natalie said. "You know, I know you've been trying to stay sober lately, but I can't understand why you would ditch school, run off to get drunk, and not even tell anyone. That's seriously not like you."

"I don't remember what happened," Asteria said. "I'm sorry though. You really are fantastic."

"Thanks," Natalie said in a softer tone.

Natalie and Rachael helped her inside since Asteria's balance was fairly off. Natalie ran back to grab Asteria's bag from the car while Rachael led her to the first story bathroom. She ended up just cutting Asteria's shirt off for her; it was too hard to navigate the holes in the shirt, and it wasn't going to be salvageable anyway.

"Holy shit, dude," Natalie said as she walked in the bathroom with a spare change of clothes. "What the hell happened?"

Asteria turned and was able to make out four distinct claw marks running down the length of her back. They had stopped bleeding but still didn't look very pleasant.

"I think there was a bear," Asteria said while taking in the claw marks. It was the only thing she could think of that would do that sort of damage.

"You think there was a bear," Natalie repeated.

"Nat, I think she has a concussion," Rachael said. "My cousin got one once when he fell out of a tree. He couldn't remember what happened."

"Great. What did they do for him," Natalie asked.

"My aunt took him to the hospital. I think they just ended up sending him home to sleep while keeping him under observation," Rachael said.

"I don't think taking her to the hospital is the best idea," Natalie said. "How much trouble do you think she'll get into?"

Asteria watched the two go back and forth like a Wimbledon match, albeit turning her head a few seconds too late. Rachael turned to look at her directly. "You're close with the Cullens. Do you think maybe Dr. Cullen would look at it off the record for you?"

"Oh no," Asteria whispered. "We can't tell the Cullens. They're gonna be so mad at me."

"Okay well, the alternative is death, so," Natalie said. "Tell me which is worse for you."

"That's technically not true," Rachael said while looking at her phone. "Web MD says that most cases generally get resolved with adequate rest and make full recoveries."

Asteria was quick enough to see the look Natalie shot Rachael.

"Fine," Natalie said exasperatedly. "Here's what we're gonna do. You're both staying the night here. We'll say it's for a last minute project. Asteria, you're going to sleep and we'll have to keep waking you up to check on you."

"Finally," Asteria said before slumping into the couch. She was asleep in seconds.

"Hey, time to wake up," Rachael said while gently shaking her shoulder.

Asteria let out a loud groan. "I thought you were letting me sleep."

"We did. You've been out for two hours. We're supposed to keep checking you. Come on, sit up and drink some water," Rachael said while pulling her up into a better position on the couch.

"I feel like a child," Asteria said.

"Well," Natalie said. "You definitely aren't. You got drunk and fought a bear, apparently."

"Ah, what a great story," Asteria said with a giggle.

"Yeah, it'll be funnier when you're feeling better," Natalie said.

"I'm so sorry, Nat. I didn't mean to cause an issue," Asteria said.

"You're fine," Natalie said. "We're friends. We're teenagers. We all do stupid shit and then help each other cover it up."

"Remember the time you backed your car into a ditch and we had to call the guys to help push it out because you had snuck out," Rachael asked with a laugh.

"Yeah," Natalie snorted. "That's how I got that huge scratch on my back fender. I told my parents someone must have scraped my car in the school parking lot."

"Point is," Rachael said, "we stick together. No matter what. Now go back to sleep. The boys are gonna bring over pizza in a bit for dinner."

"But what about," Asteria asked and then stopped. She kept thinking about something important and then losing her train of thought.

"Charlie," Natalie asked. "Don't worry, we already took care of it. Texted him for you and everything. He said just make sure we get enough sleep."

"Shouldn't be a problem for her," Rachael laughed.

"Oh, and you've got a few other texts here too. There's, well, there's a lot from Alice Cullen, and some from Emmett and Rosalie too. I wasn't sure what to say so I didn't open them," Natalie said.

Asteria groaned again. "Just tell them that I'm hanging out with you right now and I can't respond."

"Sure thing," Natalie responded just as Asteria fell back onto the couch.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Natalie stared out the window as the sky finally gathered the courage to rain. The sun had steadily disappeared over the afternoon outside as clouds took over once again.

"I know she doesn't want me to," Natalie started while turning to Rachael. "But I'm going to call the Cullens. If Dr. Cullen can check her out quietly she won't get into trouble, and I'm sure they won't want her to get arrested for underage drinking."

Rachael paused for a second before nodding. "She'll have to get over it."

"Hello," a musical voice answered the phone after the first ring. Natalie paused, not expecting such a quick answer. She had ended up picking Rosalie, since they had a class together. She hadn't interacted with Alice at all, and didn't think Emmett would be serious enough.

"Asteria, what's going on? You haven't answered any texts and you're not-," Rosalie said.

"Actually, this is Natalie," she said before the other girl could go too far. "We have English together."

"What happened," Rosalie asked seriously.

"Um, I was actually hoping to speak to Dr. Cullen if he's available," Natalie said timidly.

"One moment," Rosalie said tensely.

True to her word, Dr. Cullen was on the phone in seconds. "This is Dr. Cullen. What can I do for you?"

"There was a bit of an accident in the parking lot today," Natalie said with a slight shake to her voice.

"Is Asteria alright," Dr. Cullen asked.

"We think she might have a concussion, but she refuses to go to the hospital," Natalie rushed out. "She didn't even want us to call you, but we didn't know what to do-,"

"It's alright, you're doing the right thing. Where is she now," Dr. Cullen asked calmly.

"At my house," Natalie responded. She quickly gave him the address and he promised to be right out.

Rachael grabbed her hand and squeezed. "It's gonna be okay."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx

The next time Asteria woke up, a bright light was shining into her eyes. "This is so much worse than the shaking," Asteria groaned out as she tried to turn her head.

"Asteria," Dr. Cullen said. "I need you to hold in there just a little longer. Try to stay still."

"Oh crap. I'm in trouble aren't I," Asteria said.

"That's the least of your concerns," Carlisle said. "You, my dear, definitely have a concussion. Can you tell me what happened?"

"I'm not sure," Asteria said. "The whole thing is fuzzy."

"Memory loss is common with concussions," Carlisle responded.

"We think she got drunk and tried to fight a bear," Rachael offered.

Asteria wasn't positive, but she thought she saw Carlisle's lip twitch slightly like he was almost about to smile. "And what is that analysis based on?"

"The claw marks on her back," Natalie said.

"Claw marks," Carlisle said while raising his eyebrows.

"They weren't deep and stopped bleeding, so after we cleaned her up we just put on some antibiotic stuff and wrapped it in a bandage," Natalie explained.

Carlisle instructed Asteria to gently lift the back of her shirt and inspected it.

"Well, you girls did a good job of bandaging it up," Carlisle said. "And from what I can tell, the marks look like they'll heal nicely. Remind me, why didn't you go to the hospital?"

"That was my fault," Asteria said. "I didn't want to get in trouble."

"Please don't tell Chief Swan, Dr. Cullen," Natalie said. "I didn't want Asteria to get in trouble, but I wasn't sure what to do."

Carlisle held up a hand. "We'll deal with this situation as it comes. Would you both mind giving me a moment with Asteria?"

Natalie and Rachael both exited the room with their heads down like a dog caught jumping on the counter. Asteria watched them leave.

"I promise you, Carlisle, I wasn't drunk," Asteria said. "I just panicked and I can't think straight, so I didn't know what to tell Natalie. I just remembered that I couldn't go to the hospital-,"

"It's alright," Carlisle said calmly. "Just tell me what did happen as thoroughly as you can remember."

Asteria scrunched up her face as she thought. "I think I was near my car, or I was in the woods. Or I dreamt I was in the woods. It got darker and cold and I remember panicking. I think I tripped and fell…oh no."

"What is it," Carlisle asked calmly. "It's alright, just keep focusing on breathing."

Asteria was sure he picked up on her spike in heart rate. "That thing, I remember that thing. Holy hell, it scratched me. It was this massive dark shadow and I tried to get into my car and it dragged me out-,"

"It's okay Asteria, you're okay," Carlisle said while rubbing her arm soothingly. "You don't have to keep focusing on it. We're just going to let you rest for now."

"What about Charlie," Asteria asked him.

Carlisle gave her a thoughtful look. "I suppose it wouldn't be fair to have you get into trouble for something you didn't do, which would unfortunately happen if we told Chief Swan. I assume your friends are covering for you?"

"Yes," Asteria responded. "Natalie texted him for me. Told him we were working on a project together."

"That will have to work. Although I recommend you don't go to school tomorrow. Did you have anyone excuse you from school today," Carlisle asked her.

Asteria scrunched up her face again. "No, I think we just left."

"Nothing we can do about that now," Carlisle sighed. "Hopefully they won't be alerting Chief Swan for missing half a day. I'll see if we can find a way to call you out of school tomorrow without him finding out."

"Thank you, Carlisle. Really. I know I've caused a lot of trouble for your whole family," Asteria said guiltily through her foggy mind.

"It's alright dear. You're worth every ounce of trouble," Carlisle said. "I haven't seen my family so lively in ages. We're all very glad to have you."

"Speaking of which," Carlisle said wryly as Natalie and Rachael came back into the room. "Asteria should be fine, so long as she gets plenty of rest and someone wakes her up every few hours to make sure she's coherent. If you prefer, I could take her home with me for observation."

Natalie and Rachael shared a look. "That's alright, Dr. Cullen," Natalie said. "I think we're in this one until the end."

Carlisle nodded. "In that case, I believe Alice might drop by to check in on her. She gets worried, and I'm sure it would ease her mind."

"That's fine," Natalie said. Asteria was sure she was just glad no one was getting into trouble. "She's welcome to come over."

"Perfect." Carlisle said. "And she won't be able to attend school tomorrow, I'm afraid. We'll find a way to excuse her from class, but she won't be cleared for at least twenty four hours. I'll have my wife, Esme, pick her up before you leave for school tomorrow morning. She can watch her for the rest of the day."

"Thank you, Dr. Cullen," Natalie said. "Really, you've been so cool about this whole thing, and we were so worried about it."

"Of course," Dr. Cullen replied. "Asteria is very dear to my family. Also, no one should be afraid to seek necessary medical treatment. Please, if you're ever in trouble, do the right thing and go to the hospital. The risk of punishment is never worth the risk of remaining untreated."

"Yes, Dr. Cullen," Rachael said. "We're sorry we didn't do something sooner."

"It's not your fault," Carlisle replied kindly. "It's hard to think correctly in an emergency, especially one with complications. Just know better for the future."

"Well," Asteria said, "as far as doctor's visits go, it could have been worse."

"At least you got the hot doctor," Natalie said.

Asteria rolled her eyes, but was glad Natalie seemed back to her old self. Even through her concussion haze, she knew the girl was freaking out.

"Stress makes me hungry," Rachael complained. "When's the pizza getting here?"


	25. Eat Your Heart Out, Daniel Boone

When the doorbell rang, Asteria got up excitedly from the couch. "I'll get it," she called out, before ultimately tripping over the blanket that had been tucked in around her. She sprawled out across the floor like a baby giraffe face planting. Rachael helped her back in her seat while Natalie answered the door.

Matt and Damien came in with several pizzas and 2 liters of soda in hand. "There's more junk food in the car," Damien said as he carried the soda into the kitchen. "We've got enough sugar and carbs to give the entire town health problems."

In short order everyone was piled into the living room with full plates and cups. Several of them opted for a shot of vodka in their soda, Asteria not being one of them. They figured she had pushed her luck far enough; she was one bad decision away from becoming an episode of Grey's Anatomy at this point anyway.

"Here's to Asteria," Matt said while raising his cup. The others were quick to join in, with Asteria being the last. "We knew she was going to be one of us when she bitched out Madison on day one, and she never disappointed. She's the only person I know that's bat shit crazy enough to get drunk and fight a bear."

A chorus of cheers went around the group before drinks were taken. Asteria almost felt bad taking credit for something that didn't happen, but even with her sluggish, concussed brain she knew saying "actually, I got into a fist fight and tried to take on some demonic spirit with a squirt gun" wasn't going to fly. On second thought, maybe she was getting all the credit she was due for anyway. Both events were equally out there.

The group kept it mostly light, and Asteria dozed in and out of their marathon of Parks and Recreation. It was comforting background noise to her that allowed her to peacefully float in and out of consciousness at leisure, which was the overall goal of the group. She had just woken up and been offered ice cream when the doorbell rang once again.

"Shit, is that someone's parents," Damien asked as he threw their bottle of vodka under the couch.

"Just calm down, we'll be fine," Rachael responded as she got up to open the door.

"I'm sorry, I hope I'm not interrupting," a familiar musical voice sounded from the doorway.

"Alice," Asteria yelled from her seat on the couch. "What are you doing here?"

"I just came to check if you were feeling better," Alice said with a glance around as Rachael held the door open and let her in.

"I'm doing fantastic, thanks for asking," Asteria giggled. "I've decided I want to jump out of a plane sometime. With a parachute, obviously."

"Dr. Cullen said the concussion was going to make her a little loopy," Rachael explained to Alice. "It should wear off soon."

"Of course," Alice replied. She cast a concerned look over at Asteria. "He mentioned she was a little worse for wear. I just wanted to check in, and once again offer help. I'm more than willing to take her back with me and watch her through the night. It's a lot of respons-,"

"It's no problem," Natalie cut her off with a wave. "We've all been there. Obviously not there, but you know what I mean. We've got each other's backs."

"Of course," Alice replied again coolly.

"I've got an idea," Natalie said. "Why don't you stay with us? It would be fun. We're just watching some movies, and we're planning on taking turns staying up to watch Asteria. It wouldn't hurt to have another person in the mix."

"I wouldn't want to intrude," Alice said softly.

"Pfft," Rachael snorted. "It would fun. After all, you're family is hanging out with Asteria more, and I'm sure she would appreciate having you here. We could all be friends."

"Hi, sitting right here," Asteria said without the annoyance she felt her words needed. After all, she still registered that they were talking about her.

"Would you want me to stay," Alice asked Asteria directly.

"It would be nice," Asteria echoed the other girls. "If you want to."

"Alright," Alice practically beamed. "Let me tell Carlisle and Esme. I think I have a spare change of clothes out in the Volvo."

Asteria had to think hard to remember that Alice was a psychic as she came in with a bag filled with a "change of clothes". Leave it Alice to play off having an entire wardrobe and toiletry set as her latest shopping haul that hadn't made it out of the car yet.

After Asteria had finished her ice cream Alice insisted on being the one to help her into pajamas and get her ready for bed. Rachael offered to help but Alice was always a force to be reckoned with. By the end of it Rachael had even agreed to let Alice put her hair in braids after she was done with Asteria.

"I'm so sorry, Alice," Asteria said once the two of them were in the bathroom alone together.

Alice sighed. "There's no way of changing the past now, so you might as well not worry too much over it. You did give us all a bit of a scare, though."

Asteria winced while Alice gently helped her into a new shirt. It wasn't from her wound so much as the hurt in Alice's tone. "I didn't think it could do that, attack me in the daytime like that. It was..," she trailed off as more of the incident came back to her.

"Sssh, don't worry about it," Alice said soothingly as she ran a brush through Asteria's hair. "It can't get to you right now."

"What, why," Asteria asked hazily as Alice pulled her hair into a chic messy bun.

"I remembered the herbs in that protection spell you made, the one you put around all the entry ways to keep out unwelcome visitors. When Carlisle explained what happened I mixed some up, and when your friends weren't looking I placed it around the house. I'm not positive it's going to work, of course, but I think the attack today weakened it enough that it won't get passed the spell," Alice replied.

"Alice Cullen," Asteria whispered at the other girl. "Look at you, making your own spells."

"I'm not sure that it will work," Alice sighed. "I don't know if just anyone can mix together herbs and call it a spell, but it's the best we've got."

"It will work," Asteria responded easily. She said it with so much confidence and a lack of the general lethargy and hysteria that had been plaguing her all night that Alice actually had to do a double take.

"How can you be sure," Alice asked.

Asteria shook her head. "I don't know, I'm just positive. Whatever you did, it's going to work."

The rest of the night was a blur to Asteria. She couldn't really remember making it to the couch, but she was woken up several hours later by Natalie. The other girl forced her to drink water like it was a keg stand at a frat party and helped her to the bathroom. The next time she woke up it was to Rachael gently shaking her shoulder and asking if she needed anything.

The rest of the night, however, was all Alice. Asteria wasn't positive, but she was fairly sure she had convinced the other girls to let her be the sole caretaker. It seemed the boys had departed sometime after Asteria swan dived onto the couch for the night.

"Alice," Asteria blearily whispered out from her spot on the couch.

"What is it," Alice responded instantly. She was already at her side by the time Asteria had finished the word.

"I don't know, I feel weird," Asteria responded.

"It's a concussion," Alice responded. "You might not feel like yourself."

"That's not it," Asteria said while shaking her head. "It's something else. Something witchy."

"What is it," Alice asked more urgently this time.

"I think," Asteria responded, dragging it out so she could process the feeling. "I think everything is going to be okay."

Asteria could sense Alice roll her eyes in the dark. "No, I'm serious. I feel like I'm about to figure something out, and it's going to make things better."

"Alright," Alice said patronizingly. "In the meantime, get some rest."

"You're not the boss of me," Asteria said childishly even as she snuggled into her pillow deeper. She was already back to sleep before she could hear the other girl's response.

The first hint of morning light was rough. Asteria woke up to a fully fledged migraine, which Alice did her best to combat with aspirin and water. Natalie and Rachael were just rolling out of their sleeping bags when Alice had Asteria fully packed up and ready to go.

"I'm going to take her back to my house so that Esme can watch her for the day," Alice told the other girls as she helped Asteria put shoes on. Asteria was just thankful she got to stay in her pajamas; trying to struggle into clothes was not a challenge she felt up to facing.

"It's awfully nice of Esme to take care of her," Rachael said with a yawn as she sat up. "Thanks again for everything you guys did."

Alice waved her off as she grabbed her bag from the floor. "Carlisle and Esme adore Asteria, and she's my friend. We'd never let anything happen to her."

Shouldering her bag as well as Asteria's, Alice went out the door to start up the Volvo. Natalie crawled out of her sleeping bag and threw Asteria into a half awake hug.

"Feel better," Natalie told her. "Get some rest and let me know when you're feeling better. Don't ever scare me like that again."

"Okay," Asteria promised. "I'm so sorry for all of this."

"Just don't go full Daniel Boone on us again," Rachael replied sleepily as she gave a hug of her own. "Not unless you're properly armed."

"Ready," Alice asked as she came back into the house. Asteria nodded and finished up the goodbyes, and then they headed out of the house. She felt less sluggish at this point, now it was just tiredness.

"I promise you can sleep more when you get to the house," Alice said as she looked over at her.

"I think I've slept more in the last 12 hours than I have all week," Asteria responded groggily.

"That's not something to celebrate," Alice said critically as she drove on. "You really need to get a proper sleep schedule."

"Yes, ma'am," Asteria responded with a yawn.

Esme fussed over her almost as soon as the car door was thrown open. Carlisle gave her another once over to make sure she was on the right track and then she was led up the stairs to Alice and Jasper's bedroom again. Asteria was given plenty of water and the promise of breakfast upon waking up, and then the curtains were drawn and the house fell quiet. It was warm, and just dark enough to feel cozy without being creepy, and the sheets were velvety soft. She was out in minutes.

Asteria was vaguely aware that she was dreaming. It was one of those dreams where everything didn't quite make sense, but it wasn't unnerving. It definitely wasn't another nightmare, and for that she was thankful. She walked through her old house; not the one she shared with Liam, but her childhood home that belonged to her parents.

"Mom? Dad," Asteria called out while peeking through the old rooms. She had made an effort not to think about her parents for several years now, and it was slightly unnerving to have it happen out of the blue. A familiar ache awakened in her chest. She wasn't sure what she wanted to happen, but knew whatever it was wouldn't be enough.

"Mom," Asteria called out again as she stood in front of the door to her parents' bedroom. She was nervous to open the door, which struck her as utterly ridiculous. This was her home, her childhood. Never once had she hesitated to go into her parents' room, and here she was hanging around outside like a coward. "Dad?"

Asteria pushed the door open and took a few steps inside. The room was exactly as she had remembered it, and she paused to turn and take it in. A giant king sized bed pressed against one wall, a beautiful hand stitched quilt spread across it. Asteria belatedly recognized the Celtic knot embroidered across the surface, full of intricate loops. A large vanity sat opposite, three separate mirrors reflecting back at her.

What really caught her eye was the open window across from the doorway. A small breeze came in through the open window and ruffled the curtains enough to catch her eye. The view was breathtaking, and certainly nothing Asteria had ever seen. The breeze rustled through the tall grass outside in waves, which shown a pale white under the full moon. Honestly the sky was the most breathtaking. It swirled in a variety of dark blues and purples with stars dotting the entirety of the sky, making the whole thing surreally beautiful.

"Mesmerizing, isn't it," a voice asked behind her. Asteria spun on her heel but couldn't locate the source. "Over here, by the vanity."

Asteria edged closer to the vanity but could only find her own reflection. While she was studying her own reflection she noticed a darker mass swirling into focus behind her. Turning, Asteria couldn't find the shadow behind her, but was able to make it out once again in the mirror behind her reflection.

"What are you," Asteria asked the shadow bravely. This was still her dream, and she wouldn't be bullied.

"I am everything you think I am, everything you fear I might be," its voice oozed out into the room with unsettling laughter. "Keep trying, child, but you are no match for those more powerful than you."

Asteria took a few stumbling steps backwards, out of the frame of the mirror. She watched as the shadow grew closer until it took up a larger portion of the frame. "Where there is light, there is shadow. Always remember that. No matter what you do, we will be there. There is no escape."

Her heart beat faster in her chest and Asteria struggled to keep herself calm. "I don't need an escape. I just need a way to defeat you, and anything like you."

The shadowy being laughed at her. "You think you are any match against me?"

"Go ahead and do your worst, and I'll do mine," Asteria said with a bravery she didn't feel. She almost winced as she braced for the oncoming pain, but it never came.

"You're stuck, aren't you," she laughed with the realization as it came to her. The instant clarity hit her like an old lady backing her Honda into a parked car. "All that bark, and you've got no bite."

"Foolish girl," the darkness spit at her. "I am malice, I am darkness and deceit. You cannot escape-,"

"Yeah, uh huh, sure Malice, Darkness, Deceit, or whatever else," Asteria said in a faked conversational tone. "But I think you're full of shit. Let's test that theory." The darkness continued to howl abuse at her, but she slipped out of her parents' bedroom and back into the hallway. The sound faded until she made her way down the stairs towards what used to be their living room.

The amazing thing about hindsight was the clarity it brought. Looking back, Asteria could see the bundles of herbs hanging in her pantry that once seemed like every day kitchen supplies, or the Celtic knots symbols carefully carved into the corners of doorways that looked more like faded decorations. The scented candles throughout the house took on a second meaning as well. Clearly, her mom had more secrets than Asteria thought.

It was indescribably painful, to walk around that house again. It felt like a tomb for all her childhood happiness. And yet somehow, it felt comforting. She sensed her mother like a warm blanket around her. It was hard to explain, but Asteria just felt like if she could turn fast enough she would catch a glimpse of her mother out of the corner of her eye, cooking at the stove or carrying a cup of tea into the living room.

"Mom," Asteria called out tentatively. She was still fully aware that this was a dream. Since this was her dream, in her own consciousness, why couldn't she control it? She should be able to see her mom again. Deserved to see her again. "Mom!"

"Mom," Asteria called out again as she felt a gentle shaking. She woke up fully alert to see Esme staring down at her with painful concern.

"Asteria, darling, I was just trying to wake you up," Esme said.

Asteria took a shaky breath and let it out in a sigh. "I'm fine."

"Do you want to talk about it," Esme asked softly.

"No," Asteria said immediately. It was a knee jerk reaction and came out so harshly she winced. "Sorry, I just…is there breakfast? I'm hungry."

"Of course, sweetheart," Esme responded quickly, but Asteria could still see some emotion in the back of Esme's eyes. "Would you prefer to eat in the kitchen or here?"

"I'll go down to the kitchen," Asteria responded. She couldn't fathom tracking crumbs into the nice bed.

"Alright, I'll give you a minute while I get breakfast ready," Esme said gently as she straightened from the bed. She seemed to hesitate for a second before gripping Asteria's shoulder comfortingly and then leaving the room.

Asteria took a few seconds to breathe before going over the events of the dream. It felt surreal, like diving underwater for too long. She wasn't sure exactly what had happened, but it left her with several ideas to mull over.

First and foremost, the thing that was in the mirror. Asteria was sure that it wasn't a real entity in her dream; the protection spells she had put around the Cullen house ensured that, and she couldn't sense anything upon waking up. However, the bit about the mirror was interesting and worth looking into. She couldn't be positive, but Asteria had a strong hunch it was going to factor into their solution.

"Breakfast looks great, Esme. Thank you," Asteria said as she sat down at the kitchen table.

"Thank you, darling," Esme replied. Although the response was genuine, Asteria was still able to pick up on the slight grief that plagued the other woman.

"I just had a dream, was all," Asteria said quietly while she picked at her food. She stared at her plate and refused to make eye contact. "I don't have dreams about them much, and it took me by surprise. I'm sure it was the concussion."

"Of course, sweetheart. If you want to talk about it, I'm here for you," Esme replied.

"Thank you," Asteria said. She finished her breakfast in relative silence. It wasn't quite uncomfortable, but it didn't exactly instigate conversation.

Napping seemed out of the question after her last sleep session, so Asteria settled for a bit of research. She borrowed one of the Cullen's laptops and spent her time looking into her hunch, trying to figure out exactly what her dream was trying to tell her. Finally releasing a long pent up sigh, Asteria did her best not to slam the Cullens' laptop shut. There was absolutely no information she could find online about mirrors.

Pushing back her hair, Asteria resigned herself to drinking the tea Esme had made for her and mulling over the last twenty four hours. It was like waking up morbidly hungover and trying to figure out how embarrassing your drunk alter ego got. She somehow knew that no one would let her live it down.

"Hey Esme," Asteria called from her spot on the living room couch. The other woman was in the room before Asteria finished saying her name. "Did we happen to tell people that I got drunk and fought a bear?"

Esme's lip twitched slightly. "I believe that was your friend's theory, and no one denied it."

"Sweet," Asteria responded. Esme gave her a pointed look. "What? You have to admit, as far as cover stories go that's pretty great."

Esme shook her head with mock sternness. "Sometimes I can't tell which of my children you remind me more of. It's Emmett at the moment."

Asteria grinned. "Has he seen his fair share of bear fighting?"

"You'll have to ask him about it," Esme responded. "I'd hate to deprive him of telling you the story. It's a theatrical experience."

Asteria grinned as she settled into the couch some more. Esme was making her some soup and the rest of the Cullens were due home from school any minute. It seemed she would get dinner and a show before she went home.


	26. Nobody Likes a Sore Loser

Emmett's booming laugh practically shook the living room when Asteria told him about her supposed bear attack.

"This is why we weren't going to tell him," Edward said with vague annoyance after he recovered from the noise. Asteria couldn't blame him for his grouchiness there; she had almost dropped her bowl of soup when Emmett started up.

"I'm sorry, I just can't picture Asteria going one on one with a bear. She's the size of a single paw," Emmett said as he recovered.

"Yeah, well, apparently everyone else believes I had a fist fight with Yogi bear," Asteria said. She was a little bit moody, either from the migraine renewed by Emmett's outburst or from the assumption she couldn't take on a six hundred pound animal bare handed. How rude of him. "So now we're stuck with that story."

"Emmett, don't pick on her," Esme scolded him. "She's still recovering."

"Of course, Esme," Emmett grinned. He was completely unrepentant. "I'm happy to add another member to the bear hunting club." Asteria was then forced to sit through Emmett's retelling of his greatest bear hunts, which held all of the theatrics Esme had promised. By the time Asteria was loaded into the car, she felt more or less back to her old self.

"So, what's on the agenda," Alice asked her idly from the driver's seat of the Volvo. Jasper had offered to join them, and Asteria was tucked away in the back. "Maybe working on some of the homework you missed?"

Asteria groaned. "Are you positive you're not someone's little old grandma? Because you sure sound like it sometimes."

"It's your senior year," Alice said in exasperation. "You have to keep your grades up if you want to get into college."

"Ugh, fine. But I'm not going to be happy about it," Asteria said as she slumped further into the seat. She saw Jasper struggling to suppress a smile as he stared straight ahead. "Actually, there was a different type of homework I wanted to look into as well."

"What is that supposed to mean," Alice asked warily.

"Well, I had this dream last night," Asteria started out.

"What sort of dream," Jasper asked. He probably picked up on her tone.

"I'm not entirely sure. It wasn't like when Brigid would come to me in my dreams, but it felt…not quite normal," Asteria said. She was thinking out loud at this point. "There was something weird about it, but it wasn't necessarily a nightmare either."

"Okay, so what exactly happened in it," Alice asked.

"I was back in my parents' house, and everything was exactly the same," Asteria said. "But in their bedroom, there was this shadow entity in their mirror. It was trapped there."

"Do you think there was an entity at your old house," Jasper asked with furrowed eyebrows.

"No, I don't think that was the point of it," Asteria said. "The dream was telling me that part of getting the entity to leave is going to involve mirrors."

"You got this from a dream," Alice asked. "Don't get me wrong, it's not that farfetched, but where did this dream come from? You said it didn't feel like when your ancestors came through."

Asteria thought back through the dream again. Her mother's presence had felt almost tangible. She had originally thought it was just homesickness and being surrounded by her childhood memories again, but on second thought she couldn't be sure.

"I don't really have an answer to that," Asteria said. "I have an idea, but I'm not positive. All I know is that this feels right."

Alice glanced back at her and took in her tone and the look in her eyes. "If you're sure. So what do we need to do?"

"The mirror is only part of it," Asteria said. "We need to get the entity back through the portal, and then destroy the doorway so it can't get back. In short, we need an entire Scooby Doo plan."

Jasper didn't bother trying to hide his smile this time. "I think those only work on shady real estate investors."

Asteria felt her jaw drop. "Jasper Hale, I cannot believe you watch Scooby Doo."

He grinned. "I've been around long enough to see most of pop culture. I will admit, as far as cartoons go it's one of the better ones."

Alice smiled smugly from the driver's seat as she pulled into Asteria's driveway. Asteria gave her a questioning look, but Alice simply shook her head. If Asteria didn't know any better, she'd say Alice was enjoying their bonding. Jasper didn't seem like the type to interact with others. "We're here. Time to get to work."

The three of them sat around the coffee table as Asteria rifled through her book of shadows for anything about mirrors, or banishing unwanted entities. She got more accounts from Ailis, and some from Lorna as well, but nothing that was particularly helpful for this instance.

"Come on," Asteria groaned out as she laid her head down on the coffee table. "There's nothing in here about mirrors at all? How is that possible?"

"We could always try going to the library, or a book store," Alice suggested.

"If I couldn't find much about it online, I doubt books are going to be helpful," Asteria said. "The only thing I could find online was covering mirrors after someone passed so their spirit wouldn't linger."

"If that's the case then wouldn't we want to exclude mirrors from our plan, so the entity won't linger," Alice asked.

"Not necessarily," Asteria said. "It sounds like newly passed spirits get confused by the mirror and accidentally go into it, not realizing that it's a copy of our world. They can get out eventually, but they get so confused in there that their spirit comes out disoriented and sometimes angry."

"So they don't actually get trapped in the mirror," Alice asked.

"That's it," Asteria exclaimed. "Alice, you're a genius!" She frantically flipped through the book of shadows.

"Of course I am, but about what in particular this time," Alice asked.

"The hardest part is getting the entity to go back into the portal, because it'll know we want to trap it and won't go near it," Asteria said as she continued her search. "But it won't be expecting getting trapped in a mirror. If we can put a binding spell on the mirror, and then get the spirit inside, it won't be able to get away."

"How do you plan on getting it out of the mirror," Jasper asked.

"We break the mirror against the portal," Asteria said. "It'll make it go right through."

"Isn't breaking mirrors considered bad luck," Alice asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Actually, that works perfectly for us," Asteria said with a grin. "The idea that broken mirrors bring bad luck stems from the idea that your soul is reflected in the mirror. So if the mirror breaks with your soul reflecting in it, it risks the chance of damaging your soul. Of course, if you haven't bound your soul to the mirror then it won't have any effect on it."

"But the entity will be bound to it, thus fracturing it into pieces before forcing it back through the portal," Jasper concluded.

"Exactly," Asteria said. "Consider it a final 'screw you' before we send it packing."

"That's one part of the plan figured out, at least," Alice said.

"Not quite. We still need the binding spell, and it's going to have to be strong enough to keep that thing in there," Asteria said. "I have a few ideas though. If we can combine a few things together it might be enough to make it work."

"Can you just mix things together like that," Alice asked.

"Magic is subjective. I've said before, it's energy with intent. You can make a spell for anything as long as you have two components. You need something to give it energy, like a lit candle, a stone that's been charged with light, or the caster herself. The second part is intention, which is why you use herbs, specific colors, symbols, or anything else," Asteria said. "It all depends on the meaning the caster assigns to the herb or whatever. So rosemary may mean something different to me than it does to another witch."

"You make this sound like chemistry class," Alice said.

Asteria laughed. "I almost feel like magic is easier. You don't have to worry about perfect measurements. I guess spells could still go sideways like chemical reactions though."

"Sideways how," Alice asked warily.

"Things could counteract each other and make the spell ineffective, or you could get a different outcome than the one you were hoping for," Asteria said.

"But if you put your own intention in, how can the outcome go wrong," Alice asked.

Asteria paused to think over her explanation as she flipped through the book. "Say a witch wants a spell for luck, but she never specifies what type and in what aspect. She could get bad luck, or maybe she gets luck at work when she wanted it in her love life. That's why you're supposed to be very clear with your intentions, especially when you're a newbie."

"You've become quite the expert," Alice said.

Asteria let out a dry laugh. "I'm like a C+ at best here. Mainly just trying not to die."

Alice frowned. "We'll figure this out, I promise."

Asteria cut her off with a wave of her hand before anything else that reminded her of a Lifetime movie special could happen. "I'm sure we will. In the mean time, I should start on dinner before Charlie gets here."

"What's on the menu for tonight," Alice asked.

"Why? Should I set the table for four," Asteria asked as she looked between the two.

Alice rolled her eyes. "I was going to offer help, but-,"

"Alice Cullen in the kitchen? With the food she routinely calls disgusting? I can't pass this up," Asteria responded.

"On second thought, I rescind my offer," Alice said.

"Too late. You're making tacos now," Asteria said gleefully as she got up to get dinner started.

"We should get going," Alice said with a look at Jasper.

Jasper merely shrugged. "We don't have to go just yet."

"Traitor," Alice said as she wrinkled her nose at him, which just caused him to grin.

"Never," he replied. "But I would enjoy watching you two cook."

To be fair, Asteria at least picked an easy meal to make. She cooked the meat while Alice chopped various toppings. By the time Asteria was adding taco seasoning to the beef everything was neatly arranged on the counter.

"Once again, it's not fair how fast you move," Asteria said while turning the heat down to low.

Alice chuckled. "You'll get used to it. We really should be going now, Charlie will be here in a few minutes."

"Afraid of running into the chief," Asteria asked her jokingly.

Alice paused. "No, but it would be inconvenient timing. If we ran into him now, he'll insist on inviting us to dinner which we have to refuse. Little things like that start to add up, and then people catch on. It's better to limit opportunities."

"Oh, yeah," Asteria trailed off. Alice always caught her off guard with statements like that. "I guess I'll catch you guys at school tomorrow then."

"Please do your homework," Alice said with a very pointed look.

"Yes, grandma," Asteria sighed as she rolled her eyes. "And please don't forget your Life Alert bracelet either."

Alice stuck her tongue out at the other girl. "If you need help with Spanish just text me. I can come back over this evening."

"Will do," Asteria said with a mock military salute as Alice and Jasper made their way out the door. It was less than two minutes later when Charlie walked in that same entrance.

"Hey kiddo," Charlie said as he hung up his jacket. "How was school? Did your project go okay?"

"Uh, school," Asteria said. "Yeah, we finished it all last night. I guess I could have come home last night, but it was easier to just stay at Natalie's when we got done."

Charlie shook his head. "I don't know what your teachers are thinking, assigning last minute projects like that on a school night. I ought to give them a call."

"Actually, it's my fault Charlie," Asteria said quickly. "I wrote the dates down wrong, and we got all mixed up."

"Alright," Charlie said. "Just keep an eye on due dates from now on. You're on a good path this year; I'd hate to see it go downhill."

"Sure thing, Charlie," Asteria while turning her back to him to get plates out. She made a face once she was sure he couldn't see. If only he knew the whole truth.

"Tacos smell good," Charlie said while grabbing a plate.

"Thanks, I thought it would be fun for a change," Asteria said. They morphed the conversation back to their usual easy going silence. Once dinner was over Asteria excused herself upstairs to start on homework. There was a lot.

Three hours later, Asteria's hand was cramped past the point of usage for the immediate future, a new migraine had successfully lodged itself in her brain, and she was teetering on the point of sanity. At least her homework was done. Not just caught up, but done. All of her assignments so far were filled in with messy handwriting.

Feeling a sense of accomplishment only ruined by how much she didn't care, Asteria attempted to stretch out her painful writer's cramp. She suppressed a yawn while stretching and turning to look out the window. In that moment she thought she caught a glimpse of black sinking further into the tree line.

Taking a deep breath, Asteria tried to rationalize that it was just a wild animal scurrying back home. She knew deep down what it was though: the entity. Moving as fast as she could, Asteria lit the candle on her dresser. The protection spell was charged enough to work, but she wanted the reassurance the flame brought her.

Asteria debated back and forth on whether to tell the Cullens. They would want to know, but there was very little they were capable of doing. In fact, they might put themselves in danger by trying to come over. Ultimately deciding against it, Asteria grabbed her phone just in case and went down to check on Charlie.

"Hey, what are you doing down here so late," Charlie asked her as he turned off the tv.

"Oh, I was just grabbing some water," Asteria said. "Are you done for the night?"

"Yeah kiddo, it's already ten thirty. You should get to bed soon too," Charlie said.

"Sure, I was just doing homework and lost track of time," Asteria said as she got a glass of water. "So you're just going straight up to bed?"

"Yeah, why? You know something that I don't," Charlie asked her.

"Nope," Asteria said, popping the 'p'. "Good night."

Asteria went back up to her room and had another abrupt freak out. What if that thing ever decided to go after Charlie to get to her? Or else he just got in the way, and was in the wrong place at the wrong time? She searched the book of shadows frantically for a protection spell she could put on Charlie without him knowing.

Eventually Asteria came up with a solution so practical it almost made her hit her head in annoyance. She mixed together the same herbal concoction surrounding the house and then tip toed down the stairs. Taking the insoles out of Charlie's boots, she carefully poured some of the mix in each boot and replaced the soles. Sticking one of her feet into the large boot, she decided he would never know the difference. As long he was wearing his boots out of the house, he'd be fine. The entity couldn't touch him. She took the extra and put it into the lining of her own shoes as well. It couldn't hurt.

Feeling immensely better after her freak out, Asteria got ready for bed as fast as she could. She was out within minutes of her head hitting the pillow and fell so deep she barely dreamed. If she did, it was fleeting images of better times.

Waking up was hard in the morning. Asteria felt like she slept so hard she needed more sleep to recover from it. Just barely stopping herself from throwing her phone across the room, she turned off the alarm and got on with her day. Charlie was already gone by the time she went downstairs, so she just had to hope her spell was going to work.

The ride to school put Asteria on edge. She tried to drown out her hectic brain with "Hi-Lo" by Bishop Briggs on repeat, but it didn't do much to help. Pulling into the parking lot, Asteria faced a tough decision. If she parked where she normally did, it would be going back to the scene of her attack from Monday. However, if she moved spots the Cullens would notice and she really didn't want to look afraid.

Swearing, Asteria realized for the first time that she was afraid. As much as it got under her skin and she hated to admit it, she was afraid of this entity and what it was capable of. Then she got angry that she was scared. Ultimately though, she parked across the aisle from where she normally did. It was still close, but she didn't trust the tree line there. Not anymore.

At least she had beaten the Cullens into the lot, which meant they hadn't watched her internal battle. The Volvo pulled into its usual spot, which meant they were across from Asteria. She took her time grabbing her stuff and getting out.

"Why are you parked over there," Emmett asked her.

Asteria shrugged. "I'm half awake this morning. I'm running on auto pilot right now."

"Yeah, but you never park over there," Emmett continued.

"Oh well. First time for everything," Asteria said lazily as she started walking towards class. She took care to put a healthy distance between herself and the woods, and then cussed under her breath that she felt the need to do that.

"Is everything okay," Alice asked.

Asteria hadn't realized the other girl had snuck up on her and jumped. "Holy fuck, Alice, can you not?"

"Sorry," Alice said with furrowed eyebrows. "I didn't realize I was so quiet."

"Yeah, well, I'm half awake, like I said. I'm easy to sneak up on right now," Asteria said while adjusting her backpack on her shoulder. She kept walking.

"Something about you seems off today," Alice told her.

"Really? Shocking," Asteria said. "Could it be that I'm half awake, which I've said several times now?"

"Are you sure that's it," Alice asked her softly. She could tell Alice was picking up on her agitation.

Asteria ran a hand through her hair. "Just give me an hour or two to wake up. Promise."

"Okay," Alice replied doubtfully.

Thankfully, their conversation bought Asteria some much needed time. It seemed like Emmett was warned not to bug Asteria, as he was quiet when he came into class and sat down. It looked like Asteria was going to get a chance to get her mood back in place.

"Oh, Asteria's back," Mr. Peters said. "I guess that means the two of you can go ahead and give your presentation today, then?"


	27. Febreeze Kills Odors Not Bad Vibes

A very important author's note: Alright y'all, I know this update is incredibly soon after my last one. I have no set upload schedule, but since I've been back I've been trying to write a chapter or two ahead of my updates and go somewhere around the once a week mark. However, y'all deserve this.

Let me explain. I think in the past I've mentioned my issues and obstacles I've had to overcome in life before. For a while there things were real difficult, which is why I had to take a hiatus. I'm happy to report that despite some chaos, I'm in a much better state than I've been in a while, which is why I was so glad to get my muse back and continue writing. It's been the outlet that I've desperately needed. I have to admit that I'm writing this story selfishly; as much as I enjoy other people reading my story and enjoying it, I'm writing it as a way to express myself and transform my thoughts and feelings positively, like a creative journal. This piece means more to me than any other work I've ever written, and while it is incredibly cathartic for me, I deeply enjoy seeing other people enjoying it too.

I read each and every review, even if I haven't commented on them lately. I see everyone rooting for Asteria, or else wishing her to trust the Cullens more (believe me I get it, I wrote Asteria stubborn for a reason and it tries my patience too sometimes), or else wishing more than anything for her to have a happy ending with one character or another. It makes me happy that so many people are as invested in her as I am. That being said, I received multiple hateful reviews from presumably the same person when I uploaded the last chapter.

I could have been mad. I could have been deeply upset by the way they criticized my character. Honestly, when I saw the messages come through my email I did my best not to let it get to me. After all, I've been in several life-and-death situations over the past year, which have taken a toll on me; surely anonymous messages from someone who didn't like my writing didn't compare in the slightest. Still, it's never comforting to read someone picking apart your work with negativity. If it were constructive, I would have left it, as I always welcome a chance to grow as a writer and a person. They didn't leave anything more than a few harsh words though, so I thought it would be better to just get rid of it than have them linger around. I waited for the reviews to show up on here, but they never did; someone reported them before I had a chance to get rid of it myself.

Thank you, whoever saw it and decided to report it for me. I should be over it, but we're all human and prone to sensitivity every now and then. It was incredibly gratifying to realize someone else had gotten rid of it before they thought I would have the chance to see it. I will not entertain blatant disrespect, but it was so wonderful to realize I wouldn't have to by myself. This chapter is dedicated to whoever reported it, and a reminder to everyone to be kind to everyone, because you have no way of knowing their journey or what they've been through.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Asteria completely forgot about their history project. To be fair, she'd had a rough couple of days. "Do we have this," Asteria whispered to Emmett.

"Do we ever," Emmett replied as he handed the thumb drive to Mr. Peters. That didn't sound overly promising to Asteria, but she was resigned to her fate by that point.

"Asteria and Emmett elected to do a video for their project," Mr. Peters said as he pulled it up on the computer. "I watched it yesterday to approve of it, and I think it's going to go over well."

Asteria raised her eyebrows at Emmett, who grinned in response as he leaned back in his seat and propped his feet up. He looked way too pleased for Asteria's standards, who suddenly wondered if they'd be receiving an F.

"The Fields' House," Emmett's voice announced through the speakers as the old house showed up on the screen. Asteria saw some recognition from a few students as they realized which house was used. Emmett's voiceover carried them through the intro which explained life during the time period for women in Kentucky, the beginnings of war, and what life would have been like for 'Sarah', the imaginary woman they had created.

"As darkness descends it's our mission to find Sarah's spirit still residing in this house. Join us as we investigate the haunting of The Field's House," Emmett's voiceover finished as it then flashed through a montage of night vision and blurry video clips with catchy music before flashing a fake show logo. 'The Haunting Of…' flashed across the screen dramatically before 'The Field's House' popped up below.

"Oh. My. God," Asteria said as she took it in. It really looked like a cheesy paranormal show. Her jaw almost dropped as she turned to Emmett, who was trying hard not to laugh.

"It's good, right," Emmett whispered to her as they watched the 'set up' phase of the video.

"This looks so legitimate," Asteria whispered back.

Emmett laughed. "It kind of was."

"Is there anyone here with us," Asteria asked on screen. "If you're here, could you give us a sign?" Two knocks were loud enough to be heard through the speakers, and it threw Asteria for half a second. She forgot most of their footage was from a real ghostly interaction. It was certainly making for an entertaining project.

"Hey, Team Two," Jasper said as the screen cut to him. He was at the command central station speaking into a walkie talkie. "That wasn't me."

The camera even caught Asteria and Alice's faces as they exchanged surprised looks. The video showed them going back and forth at command central.

"Suddenly," Emmett's voiceover said as the other audio faded into the background. "Both teams were at command central when a mysterious entity was caught on our cameras from the kitchen."

Video footage of the kitchen played as a strange grayish white streak appeared in the room. The video replayed with the image circled for better viewing. Asteria looked at Emmett with wide eyes, not aware of this part.

"Please tell me that's photoshopped in," Asteria whispered. Emmett raised his eyebrows at her pointedly before turning back to the screen. She got the distinct impression it hadn't been an original part of the plan.

"Regrouping, our teams head back to their investigations to see if they can interact with the mysterious source of the noise," Emmett says in his voiceover. It cuts to a scene of Rosalie and Emmett upstairs as they investigate a bedroom.

"If there's anyone here, please give us a sign," Rosalie says clearly and authoritatively. She waits for a moment. "We need a sign you are present to communicate."

"We're not picking up anything up here," Emmett says while looking down at a thermal gun.

"Meanwhile, things are heating up in the kitchen," Emmett says in his voiceover as it cuts to the kitchen where Alice and Asteria are.

"Sarah," Alice calls out softly. "Are you here? Can you tell us what it was like to have all those soldiers in your house?"

Asteria's head whips around on screen as she catches sight of something. Surprisingly, the faintest trace of grey can be seen flickering to the side on the screen. She remembered as she watched the footage seeing the very same grayish white blur they had apparently captured on camera. "I think I saw someone," Asteria announced in the video. "Who are you?"

"Team two," Jasper says through his radio. "I think we got something on video."

Both teams converged in the sitting area to review footage. The screen enlarges on the earlier image in the kitchen where the image of gray was once again circled.

"Holy-," Emmett says on screen before being bleeped out. Several students laugh at the censorship. Looking around their audience, Asteria sees that the majority of the students are watching the screen, which is vastly different from the usual participation during presentations.

"Deciding on one last chance to converse with Sarah, our teams decide to hold a séance in the kitchen as an attempt to reach her spirit," Emmett's voice over says as it blocks out the other audio again.

"You didn't," Asteria whispered at him as she watched the footage. "Please say you didn't include that." She shot him a dark look.

"Just wait until you see how we edited it first," Emmett said before she could outright tell him off.

"Is there anyone here," Asteria asks as she sits around a table with Alice and Jasper with their hand drawn Ouija board in the center. The bottle cap moves to 'yes', but the camera wasn't set at an angle to pick it up.

"Can you tell us your name," Asteria asks. She distinctly remembers the spirit had spelled out 'Emily', but the footage once again misses the movement.

"The spirit is able to communicate enough at this point to tell us her name is Sarah, and after several questions we determine her to be the forlorn spirit of Sarah Fields, still roaming these halls caring for her soldiers," Emmett's voiceover says again. "Our investigators offer a prayer and light a candle for her and the other spirits trapped in the house in an effort to bring her to peace."

The camera footage shows Asteria lighting her candle as the others gather around the table before it fades into a shot of the outside of the house taken earlier in the night.

"We can't say for certain what happened in that house, but our hope is that the spirits of Sarah and her wounded soldiers are now free," Emmett's voice says as the sun begins to rapidly descend in the background of the house. "Once a desperate soul trapped in a bloody chapter of American history, her spirit can now be at peace for the first time in almost a hundred and fifty years."

The screen faded to black and the lights flipped on as Mr. Peters started to clap. Asteria was surprised at the amount of applause that followed as classmates joined in.

"Well done to you both," Mr. Peters said while looking at her and Emmett. "Informative, exciting, and very good film quality. Are either of you studying theater arts?"

"No, sir," Emmett replied with a smile. "I just picked up a thing or two."

"Amazingly good job," Mr. Peters said. "Does anyone have any questions for the two of them?"

"How did you do all of the effects," one of the kids in the back of the class asked.

"I used an editing program that let me overlay other footage onto it," Emmett said easily. Asteria would almost have believed him with how certain he sounded, and she had been there.

"You mean that wasn't real," one of the girls up front, Kathy, laughed. "It looked like a real episode of Ghost Adventures almost."

"Of course not," Asteria replied jokingly. "Although maybe it's a pilot for the next Travel Channel show if they ever get back to us."

Class was disrupted for several minutes as students discussed the video, and it was too much to ask that they avoided the inevitable question, "are ghosts real?"

"But do you both actually believe in ghosts," Vanessa, Madison's friend, asked them condescendingly.

"I would have to see it to believe it, I suppose," Asteria answered as she sidestepped the question.

It was the only crack in her plan. She didn't want to make herself look any weirder than necessary and drawing attention to the occult spelled trouble for them. Thankfully Mr. Peters took back control of the class and let the next presentation go.

Mr. Peters walked past their desks shortly before the bell rang and handed Asteria and Emmett each a copy of their grade for the assignment.

"He even gave us ten extra credit points on it," Emmett said as he glanced over the sheet.

"He better. I didn't hold a séance to get a C," Asteria said as they made their way into the hallway.

"Do you think this means all those awful TV shows are actually credible," Emmett asked her.

Asteria snorted. "Only if they're also witches fighting evil entities and crossing over the undead."

"Whatever you two are talking about, can you possibly wait until we're out of earshot from the general public," Rosalie asked moodily as she walked up.

"Sorry, Rose," Emmett said as they started walking towards the science building.

"Not like anyone would notice. Did you see our final project," Asteria asked her.

Rose looked at Emmett with a displeased expression. "Yes I did. I for one thought it included too much."

Emmett sighed. "We talked about this. I said we used an editing program and it went over just fine. I think you're worrying too much."

"Say that when we need to move again," Rosalie said as she sped up.

Emmett sighed and cast an apologetic look at Asteria before racing past her. It wasn't exactly inhuman speed, but Asteria still wasn't a track star and didn't think she stood a chance catching up to them. Not that she particularly wanted to, either. That looked like a lover's spat if she ever saw one. Asteria was more than content to be a unicycle before she became their third wheel.

Rosalie wasn't already in her seat when Asteria got to the classroom, which meant she must be talking it out with Emmett somewhere. Asteria hopped into her seat and started going through her translations for the book of shadows. She needed the practice and, more importantly, didn't want to be in the direct line of fire for when Rosalie came in.

Unfortunately, Asteria put herself in the worst possible position. She was looking down at her table and too focused on what she was doing to notice Rosalie until it was too late. Rosalie was already at her desk by the time Asteria looked up.

Rosalie sat with her back facing Asteria, and she took this to mean that now wasn't a good time for talking. Not sure exactly what she was in for, Asteria sat at her desk and patiently doodled in her notebook while class carried on. At the bell Rosalie was one of the first people out of the door, and Asteria was fine to give her distance.

Asteria always knew that Rosalie was touchy about supernatural stuff. She definitely didn't joke about it the way that they others did. From what she had interpreted from the situation, Rosalie was worried they put themselves in danger of exposing their secret. Not that ghosts and vampires went hand in hand, but Asteria could see how the unwanted attention would upset her.

The rest of the day passed quickly. Alice congratulated her on their project grade almost as soon as she entered Spanish class. When Asteria brought up Rosalie's reaction, Alice stopped just short of rolling her eyes. Saying something along the lines of "she'll get over it", Alice spent the rest of class chatting from one topic to the next in rapid succession, which suited Asteria fine; she still couldn't shake off her jumpiness from that morning and kept staring out windows.

By the end of the day, it seemed Rosalie had cooled off a little. She, Emmett, and Asteria all walked out to the parking lot after Geography ended. Asteria was apprehensive to walk out with the two of them, but figured she would rather walk out with a fighting vampire couple than on her own; one glance at the tree line at the edge of the parking lot told her that much.

Rosalie sighed dramatically. "I wanted to apologize for my reaction to your project. While I still think my concern is entirely valid," here her tone took a bit of an edge and she shot a slight look at Emmett, "I could have conveyed it better."

"Its fine," Asteria said as she glanced at her quickly before returning her gaze to the trees. She grew edgier the closer they got, and she honestly just wanted to get away.

"Something wrong," Rosalie asked as she scanned the trees quickly herself.

"No," Asteria said while forcing herself to stop. No sense in looking crazier than usual.

"If you're sure," Rosalie said in a tone that stated she wasn't sure at all.

"Yep," Asteria said while picking up her pace. The sooner she was out of the parking lot, the better.

"Asteria," Alice said as she danced over to them. "Did you want to come over after school today?"

"Actually, I was going to try to catch up on some of my work," Asteria said easily. Never mind the fact she had already done it all. "I wanted to get ahead."

"Oh, that's great. We can work on it together if you'd like," Alice said.

"No thanks," Asteria replied quickly. They were walking closer to where the Volvo was parked, which just so happened to be where Asteria got her ass kicked. Not that she was holding a grudge or anything about it. She stopped and glanced at their parking space before moving to the other aisle where her Camaro waited. "I'm probably just going to go home. I have some other things I need to work on too."

"Okay," Alice said in a suspicious tone. Asteria caught a glimpse of her and Edward sharing a look. He nodded his head slightly, but it was too fast for Asteria to be positive. "Let me know if you need any help."

"Cool, thanks," Asteria said as she hurried over to her car. Locked into the relative safety of her Camaro, she took a deep breath and revved the engine to life. Still, she didn't feel better until she had safely parked in the driveway and locked the front door behind her.

Asteria slipped up the stairs and lit her protection candle while flipping through her book of shadows. She needed a plan, something foolproof. The entity needed to go. Sighing in frustration, Asteria flipped through 'useless' pages in an attempt to find inspiration.

The doorbell rang through the house and interrupted her thoughts. Asteria ran across the hall and looked out the window; the Volvo was parked behind her car in the drive.

Sighing as dramatically as Asteria was physically capable of, she climbed down the stairs at the slowest pace she could manage and opened the front door to a very annoyed Alice Cullen.

"Could you move any slower," Alice asked her as she stepped inside. Asteria noticed that she came alone.

"Yes, actually, I can. What are you doing here though," Asteria asked her.

"You're not doing well," Alice stated matter-of-factly.

"Wow, rude-," Asteria started.

Alice rolled her eyes. "Don't start it. I can tell. You've been jumpy all day, easily distracted, Jasper says he keeps picking up flickers of agitation from you-"

"Tattle tale," Asteria interrupted.

Alice gave her a look. "Based on what happened and how you keep avoiding the trees, I would guess you're worried about what happened the other day."

"Of course I am, Alice," Asteria said in exasperation as she sat down on the couch. "I got hunted down and dragged out of my car. It knocked me flat on my ass. I think I have a right to be 'not okay' right now."

"I never said you couldn't be," Alice replied. "I just don't want you to go through it alone. You have us now. So be whatever you need to be, but I'll be right here with you."

Asteria eyed her carefully. "I don't want to talk things out, so if you're going to be Freud-."

"No Freud," Alice replied easily. "You can process this however you want to. If you want to sit in silence, or lie on the couch and eat ice cream, or play a movie, whatever it is, I'm here for you."

"Thanks, Alice," Asteria said once she found her voice. "Actually though, I just want to work on this plan to get rid of the entity."

"Hm. Have you found anything in your book yet," Alice asked her.

"No," Asteria said. "I mean, there's a lot in there, but nothing that really helps me here."

"We could always try a trip back to Seattle," Alice suggested. "That shop had a lot of books in it, and the woman running it had some advice for you before. She might have a better idea what to do."

"I think you're on to something," Asteria said as she started heading up the stairs.

Alice followed behind her curiously. "Are we going back to Seattle then?"

"No, I just remembered something," Asteria said as she finally reached the center of her bedroom. Surprising Alice, Asteria stopped in the center and stared at her hand.

"What are you do-," Alice started.

"Shh, I need to check something," Asteria said as she unfocused her vision.

Gradually her aura came more into sight. The usual swirls of green and lavender were present, but it looked weirdly muddy. The colors had lost their vibrancy and were tinged with a dark brown-black color at the edges that looked like the dying edges of a plant.

"Huh, I guess that old woman was only half crazy," Asteria said as she refocused her eyesight.

"What did you do just now," Alice asked her.

"I checked my aura," Asteria said.

"I thought that gave you a lot of trouble last time you tried it? I had to take you to the nurse because it wouldn't go away," Alice said.

"Well, yeah, but that means I need to practice it more to control it. Besides, it was important," Asteria said impatiently. "Remember when she said that entity left a mark on my aura? It's still there. Worse, probably. I think that's what's affecting me so bad. I've had a headache for most of the day too. I figured it was just a side effect of the concussion, but..."

"You think it has to do with your aura," Alice finished. "She gave you some incense to use."

"Yeah, I think it's still in a bag somewhere," Asteria said as she went through her stash before pulling out a crumpled bag. "It's a powder, so I have to light it on a charcoal disc, but I think I have one somewhere."

Asteria fumbled for a few minutes getting everything set up before lighting the incense. It was potent, to say the least. Alice wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"To be fair, it doesn't smell awful, just strong," Asteria said to her.

"It's very herbal," Alice replied. "I think there's rosemary and sage in it, but that's the only two I can pick out."

"Both of those are used a lot for purification so it makes sense," Asteria said. "I would say we can crack a window to get some of the smell out but I think I'm stuck in here with the incense until it burns out or cleanses my soul or whatever. I'm going to have to sweat lodge it. You can go downstairs if you want to breathe air in the near future though."

"I'll be fine," Alice replied. "There's a lot worse to smell out there."

"Fine, but don't blame me for smelling like you just got out of a drum circle," Asteria joked.

They sat like that until the incense finally went out. Asteria did have to admit her mood felt drastically improved.

"I think it worked," Asteria said with a shrug as she cleaned up the incense. It felt wrong dumping the ashes in the trash can so she carried them downstairs and sprinkled them out the back door.

"You think it worked," Alice asked her.

"Magic isn't an exact science. Most of the time I'm winging it over here," Asteria said.

"Just try reading your aura again," Alice told her.

"I'll get to that, pushy. I wanted to throw the ashes out first," Asteria said.

"Why?"

"It's hard to explain. If they burned off negativity, I don't want it to linger in the house," Asteria said. "Throwing it back out to nature is the best bet, where any lingering negativity can be whisked away by the wind."

"That's sort of poetic," Alice said as they went back in.

"Yeah, well, not everything is water guns and cussing spirits out," Asteria joked. They went back to her room, where she was pleased to note her aura was already bouncing back and becoming more vibrant.

"Now that that's out of the way, you should make dinner and I should be on my way," Alice said. "Are you sure you're doing better?"

"Sure. As soon as I Febreeze this room," Asteria joked.


	28. Scooby Doo and the Witch's Ghost

A/N: Thank you for all of the support from everyone who reads, follows, and reviews! Also, Scooby Doo

and the Witch's Ghost is arguably the best Scooby Doo movie, tied with Scooby Doo on Zombie Island.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx

Charlie had a normal day, thankfully. Asteria was glad to see him pull up the drive no worse for wear as she finished a big pot of chicken noodle soup. It was good for the soul, after all. He hung his coat up and took his boots off while Asteria ladled soup into a bowl for him. She took a discreet glance in his boots as she handed him his soup, checking to see if you could tell her spell was in there.

"They stink that bad," Charlie asked as he took his bowl.

"No, I was just wondering if you needed new ones for Christmas," Asteria replied. She patted herself on the back for her quick thinking. "It'll be here before you know it."

"Let's get through Thanksgiving first," Charlie said as he dug into the soup. "You know I love your cooking, kid, but what are your plans for Thanksgiving? Were you thinking about going back to see Liam?"

Asteria paused for a long while. She really hadn't given much thought to it, and it made her uneasy. "I don't really know, Charlie. I haven't talked about it with him at all. Wouldn't that leave you by yourself for it though? I wouldn't want you to starve to death or anything."

Charlie rolled his eyes at her. "I've been surviving just fine this whole time. I don't want you to miss out though, if you wanted to go back home."

Was that Asteria's home? Or was Charlie's house now also Asteria's? Was home where her parents had raised her, and this whole time she had just been kicked around from one spot to another? "I'll talk to him to about it, maybe," Asteria said. "We haven't really talked in a while so I'm not sure what the best plans would be. It might be easier to just stay here."

Liam and she had definitely not left things on the best of terms, and she struggled to remember the last, tense text sent between the two. Asteria understood he was still mad at her for spiraling out of control over junior year, but he was also not the most supportive person in her life. It had lead to a lot of butting heads and she wondered if they would ever repair their fractured relationship. After all, he was estranged from the family for years before her parents passed and gave custody to him.

Charlie frowned at her. It seemed like the chief had picked up on the tone of her voice. "Everything okay between you two," he asked.

"Yeah, it's fine," Asteria said. "We just didn't leave things on good terms, and he's kind of busy with his job a lot-,"

"I don't know exactly what went on last year," Charlie interrupted her. "But you're a good kid. He needs to start seeing that."

Asteria gave him a small smile, "thanks, Charlie."

"Do you want me to talk to him about it," Charlie asked her.

"No, thank you though," Asteria said while shaking her head and stirring her soup around in the bowl. "If it's fine with you, I'd rather just stay here for Thanksgiving. There's not much back in Wisconsin for me anyway."

Charlie nodded, letting the matter drop. Asteria sighed in relief as she took another bite of soup. He usually wasn't prone to emotional probing, which made Asteria wondered what got into him. Maybe a marathon of Dr. Phil came on at the station all day. Either way, she finished dinner quickly to avoid any further awkward conversation.

"You know," Charlie said as he broke the silence. Asteria mentally cursed in her head; she had her empty bowl hovering over the sink, literally seconds from making a clean getaway. "Would you mind cooking Thanksgiving dinner for four?"

"What do you mean," Asteria asked suspiciously.

"Well, Billy and Jacob don't really do Thanksgiving either. I usually meet them up at the diner every year. We could still go to the diner if you want-," Charlie said.

"No, that sounds great. I don't mind having them over," Asteria replied with a smile.

She hadn't seen much of either of them since that night they ate together at the diner, which felt like forever ago. Asteria had been spending a lot of time out with her friends during whatever playoff season had the boys camped out on the couch, and since then Charlie and Billy had typically been out fishing. It had to have been weeks since they were over.

"I'll let them know next time we're fishing," Charlie said.

"Eager to invite them over," Asteria grinned at him.

"It's already half way through November," Charlie told her. "You've got about a week before Turkey Day."

"Oh, shoot," Asteria said. "I'm already behind."

Charlie laughed at her. "Just don't forget to make some berry cobbler."

Going upstairs, Asteria realized she needed to wrap this entity business up quickly. She wanted everything over and done with by the time they had company over; it would be just her luck to ruin the holiday with something witchy.

Sitting down on her bed, Asteria began to map out a plan. She wrote down different ideas, crossed them out, and then circled several before rewriting them in a cohesive order. Her own Scooby Doo trap was set. Velma and Fred would be so proud.

The first step would be to lift the protection spell that already surrounded the Cullens' old house. Asteria was sure she had seen some instructions in the book of shadows on how to remove a spell, and wasn't too worried; that would end up being one of the last things anyway.

The next step was actually straight from the old lady in the occult shop. While using her incense earlier Asteria had remembered all of the woman's advice; cumin mixed with sea salt would keep the entity from showing up anywhere she didn't want it to. That meant she could funnel it right into their trap.

That's exactly what step number three was: a mirror trap, more than likely made with a sigil on the back of the mirror, to lock the entity inside. Asteria had seen some neatly written instructions from an ancestor named Lillian, Ailis' daughter, which showed how to create your own sigil. She was sure pairing that as a one-two punch with something else would definitely get it where it was supposed to.

Of course, it was going to be tricky to shove the right thing inside the mirror. Wouldn't it be just fantastic if Asteria got her own soul trapped in the mirror before it smashed to pieces? She figured there had to be a way to lock her soul safe inside her body. Yet another spell for me to make, she thought with sarcasm.

The next part was going to be the most fun: launching that sucker straight at the wall once it was trapped in the mirror. The only place for it to go once it got out of the mirror would be straight through the portal, since that's exactly what she was breaking the mirror against. After that she just had to break the sigil that created the doorway to their world, and she'd be free once and for all.

It felt productive to have a plan, even if she wasn't entirely sure how to execute it. It was like buying office supplies; it gave Asteria a false sense of accomplishment. She spent the rest of the night going over various points in her plan to make sure it was foolproof, and even came up with the sigil to draw on the back of the mirror. The sigil would lock the entity in, but she needed something to force it inside.

Oddly enough, Asteria had sudden inspiration from the least likely source. She had been joking around with Charlie the week before and turned on a marathon of Cops to annoy him. The only part she had seen before Charlie changed the channel was a SWAT team throwing tear gas into a house. Supernatural tear gas sounded like the perfect way to subdue something that powerful.

Full of weird ideas, Asteria grabbed her laptop and started searching the internet for how to make a smoke bomb. As nice as incense was, she just didn't think it was going to cut it this time. It looked easy enough to do, and she was sure she could throw in powdered sage and a few other things without affecting the recipe. Weaponized witchcraft was beginning to look like her forte. She wondered if her ancestors would be proud of her for it.

Feeling very satisfied with herself, Asteria finally decided to catch some sleep. She slept peacefully thanks to her dream pillow, which helped ease a lot of her stress. Asteria couldn't remember her dreams when she woke up, but she was aware neither Brigid nor Ailis had visited her. They were still on the astral plane looking into what she should do about the entity, and she was eager to tell them her plan. She wanted their insight to see if it would work.

Asteria felt invincible, which was a complete one-eighty from the day before. Maybe it was too early to celebrate, but she felt like she had already won with her plan all laid out before her. She blared "Yellow Flicker Beat" by Lorde as she barreled into the parking lot and reclaimed her parking space, which did not go unnoticed by the silver Volvo she cut off.

"Now we're even," Asteria said as she opened her car door.

"You hold plenty of grudges, don't you," Edward asked her with a hint of annoyance.

Asteria smiled at him as she sipped her coffee.

"Someone's in a good mood today," Rosalie commented.

Asteria shrugged. "I've got everything all figured out." With that, she started walking to class, knowing it would annoy the Cullens.

"Care to elaborate," Emmett asked her.

"Of course," Asteria said with a grin. "After school, though. There's a lot of details, and I was hoping I could use your kitchen for it. I think Charlie is off today."

"I have to wait the whole school day," Alice grumbled. "Why can't you just tell us now?"

"Where's the fun in that," Asteria asked. "By the way, I need to stop at a hardware store first."

"I don't think I'm going to like this plan," Alice said.

"Oh, sure you will," Asteria said. "It's going to be fun, come on. We're gonna be late for class."

The day passed by easily, although Alice spent the entirety of Spanish trying to get Asteria to fill her in. It was probably mean not to tell Alice anything, but it was kind of nice to see the shoe on the other foot for once. She could deal with it for a few more hours.

Asteria's good mood was even picked up by her friends at lunch, it seemed. "What's got you so chipper today," Natalie asked her.

"Can't I just be in a good mood," Asteria asked as she raised an eyebrow.

"Literally no. What is it," Natalie asked her.

"I don't know, I just feel like I've got things figured out right now," Asteria replied. "I'm on top of homework, I've got a social life, things are good with Charlie. It's nice."

"Good," Rachael said. "I'm happy for you. Does that mean you're going to that party in Hoquiam next weekend?"

"She's probably going back home for Thanksgiving break," Natalie interjected.

"Actually I'm staying here for break. I can probably go to the party," Asteria said.

"What about your uncle in Wisconsin? Don't you want to go back home and catch up with your friends," Rachael asked.

"Not particularly," Asteria said. She stabbed at her salad a little more viciously than she intended to and set her fork down. "Why, trying to get rid of me?"

"Of course not, I just thought," Rachael said. "Doesn't matter. It'll be a fun party to go to."

Their conversation drifted on to other topics, but Asteria didn't put much heart into it. She was doing her best to keep her good mood up where it belonged, and didn't need any reminders of her past. By the end of the day Asteria had regrouped and was ready to go.

"Do you want me to ride with you," Alice asked her as they finally reached the cars. It didn't take a mind reader to guess Alice's intentions; she was already sitting on the hood of the Camaro.

"I wouldn't mind," Asteria said as she unlocked the doors. "Jasper, did you want to come along too?"

"Thank you, but I believe Emmett already made plans with me," Jasper said kindly.

"He's about to get destroyed at Mortal Kombat," Emmett informed her with a grin.

"Best of luck with that," Asteria said with a shake of her head as she climbed into the driver's seat. "See you back at the house, I guess."

Their first stop was Charlie's, where she needed to pick up a lot of the herbs for her spells as well as her book of shadows. Of course, they weren't more than ten seconds into their trip before Alice demanded to know the plan.

"I don't want to keep repeating it," Asteria said with an eye roll. "Can't you just wait until I tell everyone?"

Alice's pout had no rival. "I just want to know what's happening."

"Ugh," Asteria groaned. "You're impossible. Fine, I'll tell you a bit. I'm going to lure the entity back to the house, trap it in a mirror, and then force it through the doorway."

"That sounds," Alice drug out as she paused to think it over. "Complicated. Are you sure it's going to work? It could get dangerous."

"I've got a good feeling about it," Asteria said. "I went over it all last night from different angles to work out the kinks and I think when the time comes it'll be more or less foolproof."

"Why not just force it through to begin with," Alice asked. "Why do you have to put it into the mirror?"

"I have my reasons," Asteria said. She saw the look of annoyance on Alice's face and continued. "The entity is desperate to go back through the portal to recharge its strength, but I don't think it's going to be easy. I have a feeling if this thing is even a little smart, it won't go anywhere near the portal if it knows we're in the house; it'll attack us first. It won't expect the mirror trap, I know it. Plus, when we break the mirror its gonna rip that thing to pieces."

Alice nodded thoughtfully. "So you think breaking the mirror is going to weaken it enough to force it through?"

"Huh? No, I was thinking I'm gonna enjoy shattering that thing into a million little pieces," Asteria said. She rolled her eyes when Alice gave her a stern look. "Besides that, it should definitely weaken it enough to force it through."

"Aren't you concerned that not all of the pieces will go through the portal," Alice asked. "I don't even know if that's possible, but what if some of it remains behind?"

"Good point," Asteria said thoughtfully. "We'll need something to clear the area after to be sure. Guess I'll make two bombs."

"Bombs," Alice asked with raised eyebrows. "Please don't tell me it's what I think it is."

"Smoke bombs," Asteria said with a smug smile. She was pretty proud of herself for that particular MacGyver idea. "For incense. We could do it the normal way and waste twenty minutes, or we could do it the fun way where I make explosives."

"I don't like anything about this," Alice started.

"Of course you don't," Asteria said with a roll of her eyes. "If it makes you feel better there's no gun powder, so it's not like anything actually explodes. Probably."

"How comforting," Alice responded sarcastically.

They rounded up all of the supplies that Asteria needed, which was impressive considering Charlie was actually home. Alice was the perfect distraction, though, so it's not like it came as a big surprise that they left with everything on record time. They only needed a few things from the hardware store so it was easy to get in and out. It looked like a snow storm was on its way; bags of rock salt and ice melt were neatly stacked for sale by the doors. Getting sudden inspiration, Asteria grabbed a few bags of rock salt and threw them in the cart.

"What are those for," Alice asked.

"Go big or go home," Asteria shrugged. "We should probably run by the grocery store now too, though."

One trip to the grocery store for excessive amounts of cumin later, they pulled in the Cullens' driveway. The car was barely parked before Jasper was outside to help carry bags in. By the time Asteria climbed out she had just her own backpack to carry inside.

The kitchen counter was nice and clean, at least it was before Alice started unloading ingredients left and right. It looked like she was alphabetizing them, which was fine by Asteria. It wasn't like she knew what was going in where anyway.

"Goodness, do you think that will be enough," Esme said from the doorway.

"I know you're joking, but a fantastic amount of overkill is exactly what I'm going for. So, thanks," Asteria said. "I want it to be the equivalent of using a nuke to kill a spider."

"I don't like that at all," Alice said. "That's exactly how things go wrong."

"Ah, come on Alice," Asteria said as she lit some candles around the kitchen. They weren't for any particular purpose, but they did give the air a nice energy and peace to it. They helped ease Asteria's mind as well. "It'll be perfectly fine. I'll be in and out of that house in like twenty minutes tops."

"We'll," Alice said.

"What," Asteria asked.

"We will be in and out in twenty minutes," Alice said.

"Yikes, that's what I thought you said. About that-," Asteria started.

"Absolutely not! I already hate everything about this, there is no way you are going anywhere near that house by yourself. I promised to keep you safe," Alice sounded off. The force of her indignation made Asteria involuntarily step backwards.

Asteria sighed. "Alice, realistically speaking, what exactly are you going to be able to do to help? If the entity starts attacking you won't have any power to stop it. It's easier if I go in by myself."

Jasper shook his head. "You're not going in by yourself. That's final."

"It makes no sense to have you in-," Asteria said.

"This is not up for discussion," Alice cut her off. For being just barely above the height restrictions for riding in a car seat, Alice was menacing when she wanted to be. It was almost enough to make Asteria back down. Almost.

"Sweetie," Esme said. Asteria had forgotten she was in the doorway. "You know we would never let anything bad happen to you. We're not going to let you put yourself in danger on your own. The fact that you have to deal with this is bad enough; we would never leave you to it by yourself."

Asteria sighed. "I get it, I just don't know if it's going to do more harm than good to have anyone else there. If you can't help, and I get hurt, it's just going to make everything worse. I'm still not sure this is going to work."

Alice was about to respond, but Asteria's head whipped around to the side at that exact moment. She swore she caught something out of the corner of her eye, a white-gray blur stepping into the room.

"Shh," Asteria said as she focused. It was hard to do, but she could just focus out of the corner of her eye and follow the figure as it moved around the edge of the kitchen. "I don't think we're alone."

"What is it," Esme asked. She tried to follow Asteria's line of sight, as did the others, but it was obvious they couldn't see it.

The blurry figure floated towards the candle closest to it and a slight breeze blew out the candle's flame. Asteria could hear a soft gasp from one of the Cullens. "Looks like we have news," she announced.


	29. Jehovahs Witnesses Don't Visit Here Much

A/N: Alright, alright. I get it, cliffhangers are mean. I'm sorry, I can't help it lol. Maybe I'll try to work on it. No promises. As always, thank you to my lovely readers, as well as the people who follow, favorite, or leave reviews. I'm so happy at how many of you there are now. We're getting down to the end of what I like to call the Pre-Bella Era here. This is the home stretch for the first section of this story. More is definitely to come, but to celebrate I thought it would be interesting to hold an all out Q&A session. I'll answer all questions at the end of this section so you still have a few chapters to get your questions out there. The only thing I refuse to answer is who Asteria will end up with because I don't want to spoil it. Although if you phrase the question _just right_ I may be willing to drop a hint or two.

I can't believe how far I've gotten on this story, to be honest. This is by far the longest story I've ever written and I never thought I would find the drive to keep writing this far. It's been fun. I have no plans to stop, although I'm definitely nervous for the Bella Era to arrive. I have a lot of things in the works for it.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXxx

While Asteria could see the spirit if she tried hard enough, it seemed like she couldn't really communicate with them. That was fine by her; having ghosts barge in all the damn time to shoot the breeze wasn't at the top of her bucket list. They had all the supplies for another séance, and it wasn't long before everything was up and running. She took over the living room once more, and the rest of the Cullens gave her a semblance of privacy; she was sure they could hear everything, though.

"And you're positive it's one of your family members," Alice asked her for clarification for what felt like the twenty seventh time.

"Well it's sure not a Jehovah's witness, and since it's not Girl Scout cookie season I'm willing to take a wild guess," Asteria replied. To be fair, the first twenty six times she had answered more politely. Alice left her in relative silence to do her work until the gray-white blur stepped into the séance circle and became instantly more recognizable.

"Ailis," Asteria greeted her as she looked around. "Is Brigid coming too?"

"Sorry, my child, it's only me," Ailis replied. "I came to share what little information we've found. Mother is still searching, but it doesn't look like the odds are great."

"Oh, I came up with a plan of my own," Asteria tried and failed to sound nonchalant. She was too happy with herself. She went through the basis of her plan quickly while Ailis listened intently.

"I'm not sure exactly how your fireworks will work," Ailis said in reference to the smoke bombs, "but your plan does sound promising. I would rely heavily on sage, but adding angelica, basil, and rosemary will drive the demon back from where it came. Other than that, you just need a tether for your mirror spell."

"Sorry, a what," Asteria asked.

"Your sigil will trap it in the mirror, but it will trap every soul or essence of energy that reflects in it as well," Ailis said. "You need a magical tether to keep you to the earth. Maybe a simple knot spell will do the trick. I believe your grandmother, Maureen, had an entry about them. Not for the same purpose, but I think it should suffice."

"Okay," Asteria nodded. She knew she needed something to protect her soul, but didn't know what she needed to 'tether' it with. "Any other ideas?"

"Asteria seems to think she should go in alone," Alice said as she stepped up to the séance circle. Asteria mentally cursed. It looked like she had been lurking in the shadows for her opportunity.

Ailis cast a critical look between the two of them. "Normally, I would say Asteria was right, but I think an exception needs to be made in this instance." Alice all but stuck her tongue out at Asteria.

"What do you mean 'in this instance'," Asteria asked. "What makes this different?"

"I have my reasons," Ailis said, but Asteria got the odd sense it had something to do with this particular group of vampires.

"Care to share them," Asteria asked with a hint of irritation.

"Not just yet," Ailis replied with a quirk of her lips. "The truth will have to come in its own time, I think. For now, just remember that you make a tethering spell for all of your friends. We wouldn't want their souls to be trapped either."

It seemed that sentence gained Ailis a lot of extra attention. "What do you know about our kind having souls," Edward asked as he appeared at the edge of the circle. He was so fast it almost made Asteria jump.

Ailis gave Edward a long suffering look. "Ah yes, there's that one."

"Ailis," Asteria warned.

"I do my best to tolerate your friendship with these vampires," Ailis told her evenly, "for many reasons, one of which being their different outlook on human life. That doesn't make them any less dangerous." Particularly that one. Ailis didn't say the words, but Asteria felt as if they were on the verge of slipping out.

"What is that supposed to mean," Asteria asked with a hint of annoyance. She was getting tired of the whiplash Ailis' mood towards the Cullens gave her.

"It's fine. She's entitled to her own opinion of me," Edward said to Asteria before turning to face Ailis' spirit. "Do you know if we have souls, if there's some afterlife for us?"

"I wouldn't truly be able to answer that," Ailis said. Her frosty attitude was gone though. "I'm not aware of what's become to any deceased vampire in the afterlife, or if they have a full 'soul' left. I can tell you that you have an essence of energy around you, like a soul. It's subdued though; I can't tell if it's because of what you've become altering your soul, or because time has made it less vibrant. All I know is that if you want any chance, you'll use a tethering spell to keep you from being trapped by the mirror sigil."

Edward seemed like he wasn't ready to drop the conversation, but nodded once and left the room regardless. Asteria looked between his empty spot and Ailis, wondering what the hell to say to resolve that dumpster fire of a conversation. Ailis never got over vampires brutally murdering her family, it seemed.

"There's not much time left; my spirit needs to return to the other plane so it can rest. I'll pass along to Mother everything and send her back to talk with you when the time is right, should you need more help," Ailis said. Asteria was thankful she'd have another chance to talk to Brigid before the plan got put into action, just in case she had any other problems.

"Thank you, Ailis," Asteria said. "This would be so much harder without your help."

"We are family, dear. Family helps each other," Ailis said with a smile. She looked between Asteria and Alice. "It is well past time for me to leave. Take care of each other, girls."

Ailis disappeared and it once again left Asteria feeling slightly empty. It was nice to have some link to her family, no matter how far removed she was. Sighing, Asteria started the clean up for the séance and then moved on to her work in the kitchen. Esme insisted on making something for Asteria to eat, and the two worked side by side in the kitchen for a while in peaceful silence. Alice stuck around to chop herbs while Asteria ate her pasta, which really only took the pixie vampire a few minutes.

She was mixing the ingredients for her smoke bomb, which was really the most excitable part for her, when Edward finally came back around. Asteria noticed it was just her and Edward in the kitchen; she hadn't been aware of Alice slipping out of the kitchen. Reigning in her frustration at having this conversation at that particular moment, she did her best to keep stirring the pan.

"Sorry for Ailis," Asteria said. "I think my family has some unresolved issues with vampires."

"It's not undue," Edward said darkly. His tone caused Asteria to flinch and glance up at him, which reminded him to reel back his emotions. "I've done things that I'm not proud of, which is why, among a multitude of other reasons, I'm curious about vampires having souls."

Asteria gave him a good, long look before turning the stove burner off. Edward was looking down at Asteria's herb collection, not making eye contact. "I don't know where you've been, or where you're going, but I do know where you are." Edward looked up at that. "Don't get me wrong, you get on my nerves every other damn minute, and I'm near positive the feeling is reciprocated, but it doesn't mean I think you're a bad person. You may have done some bad things, but it doesn't define you."

"You don't know that-," Edward started.

"No, you don't know that," Asteria interrupted. She surprised the both of them by taking her protective necklace off and setting it on the table. Taking a deep breath, Asteria managed to relax her eyesight until she could go out of focus enough to pick up his aura. It was faint, like Alice's, but she could see swirls of orange, deep indigo, and silver radiating off of him. Edward tensed as he took the information in, but stayed silent.

"Do you see that," Asteria asked him. "That's the energy you give off, charged by your thoughts and feelings. That comes from your soul. I don't know anything else that could create that. Forget what Ailis said, it's there."

"I see," Edward said. "That presents a whole other list of questions."

The last part was said so quietly and bitterly Asteria almost didn't hear it, but she was able to pick it up with the quiet surroundings of the Cullen household. Using her intuition, she suspected exactly what was upsetting him.

"You know, everyone expects all witches to be Wiccan," Asteria said. "Or Pagan, but they always think animal sacrifices are made to different gods and goddesses. I've definitely never sacrificed an animal, just an FYI. And I'm not really Wiccan or Pagan. Witchcraft doesn't actually have anything to do with religion; it's about personal power and using the energy around you. Look, I can already see you getting bored, please stick with me. I'm not good at heart to hearts."

Edward made full eye contact with her before nodding. He looked like he didn't want to be listening any more than Asteria really wanted to be talking, but there they were.

"Lots of people group their magic with religion, which is fine, but I don't know. I've always just kind of listened to my own intuition," Asteria said. "I'm not saying that Christianity is the correct religion, but different aspects of it feel right to me. You're open to whatever you want to believe, live your life, but it just makes sense to me personally. And I believe that whatever afterlife is waiting for us, it's there for anyone who asks for forgiveness. You're a mind reader, I'm sure you know exactly how many people fuck up on a daily basis. If Heaven's real, and you have to be free of sin to get in, that is one giant empty dance floor up there. I'm just saying."

Edward paused for a while. "I'm sure Carlisle would be interested in discussing theology with you sometime."

"Does that mean we're done having this painfully awkward, 'casual' conversation," Asteria asked.

"Yes," Edward replied with a wry smile.

"Oh, thank god," Asteria said as she put her necklace back on. "I'm so bad at these. I notice everyone else just disappeared for it, which was super cool."

"I asked if I could have a minute," Edward confided. "It's easier to ask questions without someone interrupting every few seconds."

"Alice? Interrupt? Never," Asteria said as she went back to her smoke bomb recipe.

Edward chuckled, and it was maybe twenty seconds later when Alice came back through the door.

"I heard that," Alice said as she mock glared at Asteria. The harsh look fell off her face easily though. "I'm glad to see you two didn't wind up killing each other."

"Nah, I wanted to save that for a special occasion," Asteria said as she stirred a large pot. "If you start killing every day it loses its wow factor."

"You're impossible," Edward said with an eye roll.

"And yet, here I am thriving," Asteria said with a grin before he left the kitchen.

Alice shook her head. "I can't tell if you two hate each other or not."

"Same," Asteria said as she wrapped up her bombs.

Asteria made extra smoke bombs to test, but they needed to sit for a bit and dry out some more before she tested them for full results. In the meanwhile, they got a couple large buckets and expertly mixed rock salt with cumin. There was more than enough to cover the floor and make sure the entity went directly into their trap.

They ended up having to mix two different paints for spells; the first was a purple paint to create the mirror sigil, and the second was a black paint to go over the sigil on the wall that created the doorway. Asteria ground sea salt, thyme, and wormwood in a mortar and pestle and then mixed it into a little plastic container with the purple paint. There wasn't enough to affect the paint too badly, but it did have a slightly grainy texture. It would be able to do the trick though, and that's what mattered.

The other paint needed to break the portal, which wasn't going to be easy. Asteria decided the best way to destroy it was to damage the sigil underneath first, and then paint over it with her own sigil. It needed nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne, nettle, and blessed thistle. Everything about it seemed to pack a punch, which was exactly what she was going for.

It seemed like the only thing left was the tethering spell, but Asteria hadn't looked up knot spells yet and didn't know exactly where to start. Looking at the time, she realized she was out of options for the night anyway.

"Holy crap, when did it get so late," Asteria said as she looked at the clock.

"Time flies when you're flying on a broomstick," Emmett called out to her from the living room.

"If I could fly I wouldn't have to put up with your terrible humor," Asteria called from her spot in the kitchen. Esme had magically appeared and was making herself busy cleaning dishes.

"Esme, you don't have to do that," Asteria said. "I made the mess."

"Nonsense," Esme replied. "I'm happy to help any way that I can."

"It looks like you were busy today," Carlisle said as he leaned on the doorway.

"Just a bit," Asteria said. "Don't you know all the best plans have forty six thousand complicated steps?"

"Is it going to work," Carlisle asked. He was smiling but his eyes looked worried.

"I'd say there's like a solid eighty five percent chance," Asteria said.

"I'd much prefer one hundred," Carlisle replied.

"Huh, I just redid the math. It's one hundred now," Asteria said.

Carlisle gave her an amused look. "What can we do to increase the odds?"

"I don't know," Asteria said. "I wish I knew how powerful it was right now. I should have gone back to the house to relight the candle and recharge that spell, but you know, concussions happen."

"Actually, there's no need to worry about that," Carlisle said. "I've been relighting it every day after work. I have no way of knowing, but it seems to be working."

"How come he gets to go to the house by himself," Asteria asked to the occupants of the house in general.

"Because the entity would be no use attacking him," Jasper said at the same time Alice said, "The entity isn't after him."

Asteria threw her hands up. "I give up, I'm going home."

"Want me to ride home with you," Alice asked. "I can run myself back home after."

"I should be fine," Asteria said. Just then, Alice's vision glazed over and she lost focus. Asteria stared at her curiously. "Alice?"

Jasper was beside her in a flash. "What did you see?"

"Nothing," Alice said with a fake smile. "Asteria is just going to spend the night."

"That's what you saw," Asteria asked with a flat tone.

"Yep," Alice replied, which was very un-Alice.

"Assuming I'm not a child that's easily lied to, what did you actually see," Asteria asked.

"It's not important, it doesn't matter now," Alice said.

Asteria closed her eyes and focused on her witchy intuition. "Something bad happens in the car, doesn't it?"

"How did you-,"

"Lucky guess," Asteria said. "But I can't just stay here forever. Eventually I have to go home, go to school, see other friends, prove I'm not tied up in a basement."

"Fine," Alice said. "We will drive you to and from school, and you can't go anywhere without us."

"Why am I being grounded," Asteria asked.

"Because I'm doing my best to keep you safe," Alice said exasperatedly.

"What did you see, Alice," Carlisle asked.

"It materialized in the road and made Asteria spin out and crash her car," Alice said. Asteria didn't want to ask how bad it was, both for herself and her poor Camaro.

"It's probably best for someone else with faster reflexes to drive you around in the meantime," Carlisle sighed while looking at Asteria.

Asteria wanted to make a joke, but ended up just nodding. She was tired mentally and physically, and didn't think it was worth the trouble of humor. The ride home was tense; Jasper drove while keeping his eyes peeled as Alice sat with her eyes closed, concentrating on any sign the entity would pop up. Asteria sat in the backseat looking out the window into the dark trees that were blurring by way too fast.

"My Camaro is my baby. My very old, very breakable baby. Please don't kill her," Asteria said quietly.

"Don't worry," Jasper chuckled. "I'll treat her with care."

"Turn left ahead," Alice instructed. "Take the side road down a while."

Asteria took this to mean the road ahead was booby trapped. Jasper took the turn so sharp Asteria thought they were going to spin the car out anyway. It was a great reminder to click it or ticket. Thankfully Asteria was already strapped in as she grabbed the handle in the backseat for dear life.

The driveway might as well have been Hawaii based on how badly Asteria wanted to go there. The Cullens didn't stay; it was too suspicious without having one of their cars there. Alice walked her up the doorstep and then she and Jasper slipped quietly into the backyard.

"Hey kiddo," Charlie said. "A little late to be coming back on a school night, isn't it?"

"Sorry, Charlie," Asteria said. "I was just hanging out with Alice, we were helping Esme in the kitchen, and lost track of time. I should have said something."

"Its fine," Charlie waved off. "Just remember to come home earlier on school nights. Do you at least have your homework done?"

"Yep, all finished," Asteria said, for once not having to lie. She had finished it all the other night, and never got assigned more.

Charlie wasn't the type to grill people for information and sent Asteria along her way thankfully. She was able to retreat to her room and go over her plan for the 28th time. She knew she was obsessing but didn't care by that point; the main thing was to get it over and done with.

Asteria still wasn't too happy about the Cullens' involvement in the plan, but there was no way around it. Ailis green lighted it, so now she was stuck. She wasn't exactly bothered by them joining in, but she was slightly afraid it might make the plan go sideways. After all, no one was positive what sort of influence the entity would have on them. Feeling entirely unsure about that portion of the plan, Asteria tried to get ready for bed and fell asleep without any negative vibes.


	30. Breakfast at Tiffany's is Overrated

A/N: Here we go again. It's Valentine's week in the floral department. Please keep me in your thoughts cause I'm probably going to die. On the plus side, Part One of this story is wrapping up nicely. I think even though it's all going to be posted together, I'm dividing this story into three parts: pre-Bella, Twilight and New Moon, and Eclipse and Breaking Dawn. I'm so happy with how everything has turned out so far. Thank you once again, my lovely readers. Also, please keep turning in your questions. I think there's two chapters left to part one, and on the last chapter I'll leave the Q&A at the bottom.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Friday morning dawned with another overcast sky that couldn't decide if it was going to snow or not. Asteria was fine with the latter option; driving would be hard enough with an entity trying to Wile E. Coyote her on the road, she didn't need to lose traction and slide all over the place. The cold was unseasonable anyway, according to literally anyone in a five mile radius who commented on it incessantly.

Asteria tried her best to hurry through getting ready for school. Having woken up an hour early, she took it as a sign to get up and look over her book of shadows for the knot spell Ailis had mentioned. She copied it down into her journal to go over during school and add her own twist to make it successful.

However, this also ate up the extra time she had, which made her run a bit closer to the clock than she wanted to. She had the definite feeling Alice was going to rush them out the door. She was trying to hide it, but it was easy for Asteria to pick up on Alice's worrying. The sooner they had this over with, the better. She rushed through getting dressed and decided on a cute low cut sweater Alice had picked out last time they went shopping. Surely that would help her calm down.

Deciding a different necklace was necessary, Asteria dug through her jewelry collection while wrapping her trusty pendant around her wrist; it would still be able to work it's protection spell that way. There was a knock at the front door and Asteria called out "come in" without bothering to move. Charlie was already gone, and it was obviously Alice and Jasper. She was in the middle of detangling several necklaces when Alice opened her bedroom door.

"Really? You're not even locking the front door," Alice asked. "Tell me how that's safe."

"I don't really think the lock is gonna do much good," Asteria said. "But since you're here, help me detangle these necklaces. I want to wear one and I don't know which."

Alice was quickly distracted by the promise of fashion and it gave Asteria a chance to look through her collection in case she found something nicer. There wasn't much to choose from though: a few pieces from her mother and grandmother, costume jewelry left over from school dances, and a couple pieces of homemade jewelry from her middle school days.

Picking up an old bracelet, Asteria remembered the exact sleepover it was made at. That was before her parents had passed. She went to a girl named Julie's house for her birthday and they sat in a circle the whole night making bracelets. She hadn't talked to any of them since she had to move to a different state to live with Liam. The bracelet wasn't very impressive; it was one of those friendship bracelets made with hemp cord that twisted in a spiral and had little beads in it. Still, it gave Asteria an idea as she twirled it around in her fingers.

"That bracelet won't go with that top at all," Alice told her critically as she expertly detangled the web of jewelry Asteria was stuck on. "Don't even try it."

"No, it won't," Asteria said absently as she stuck it back in the box. She silently thanked Julie and her jewelry making phase. Who knew it would be the perfect way to create a knot spell? "Anyway, I just wanted the citrine necklace. It's supposed to be good for protection."

"Oh, does it have a spell on it," Alice asked her.

Asteria paused. "Not sure, actually. It was part of Grandma Maureen's collection. If there is one, it's more than likely for protection. It wouldn't be charged after so long though."

"It wouldn't hurt, either," Alice said as Asteria finished getting ready. She all but shooed Asteria down the stairs as well. Asteria almost objected, but saw a plate of pancakes and bacon at the kitchen table ready to dig into.

"Don't tell me that's from you," Asteria said.

Alice stuck out her tongue. "Esme made them. She's been dying for more excuses to work in the kitchen."

"Esme's an angel," Asteria said with a forkful of pancakes already devoured. "No one should be able to cook this well."

"It's just nice to see you actually eat," Alice told her teasingly.

"I eat," Asteria said defensively. "When I feel like it. I'm normally not hungry until dinner anyway."

Alice continued to pester her all through her breakfast while Jasper watched the news in the living room. Asteria couldn't tell if it was out of genuine interest in the weather forecast or if he was trying to give them some space.

The ride to school was interesting, to say the least. Alice and Jasper acted as her unofficial body guards, checking the road several times before getting her into the backseat of her Camaro. Asteria tried to insist on riding shotgun but they vetoed the idea, saying it was safer in the back. They obviously weren't up to date on the safety standards the automotive industry had in the 70s. Seatbelts were more like a suggestion for the backseat.

Alice insisted on taking another alternate route, which meant they once again had to take several unnecessary twists and turns before reaching their destination. Asteria kept quiet in the backseat; she knew it was for her safety so she didn't want to complain, and it gave her time to think over the knot spell. All she needed to do was get some cording and beads. She needed to double check what sort of stone would be the most helpful though.

The parking lot was already filling up when they pulled in and Asteria couldn't help feeling slightly nervous. If someone noticed Alice and Jasper in the Camaro with her, she wasn't sure what they would think. Thankfully no one seemed to notice, a fact Edward confirmed. The general population was more concerned about another chance at snow, and all the upcoming assignments due at the semester's end.

The day flew by like a breeze. Asteria asked Alice about craft stores in the area, but it seemed like they would have to go all the way to Port Angeles to find exactly what Asteria needed. They planned on going straight after school. Alice said it would be the best time to slip away without the entity noticing. It actually helped them out; being in Port Angeles assured a stress free evening away from the entity.

The Camaro got plenty of mileage as Jasper raced it down the interstate to Port Angeles. They were lucky her car was in good condition or it wouldn't be so easy to drive the way they did. Asteria smirked at the idea of one of the Cullens trying to race Natalie's rusted out Beetle down the road, or the Chief's old cruiser. She sent Charlie a text before she could forget again to remind him that she'd be out for a while.

"What exactly do you need from the craft store," Alice asked over her shoulder as she rode shotgun, once again. Asteria really didn't appreciate the view from the backseat. At least she had plenty of leg room.

"I need some cord, or maybe hemp. I'm not entirely sure, but I was thinking either blue or white, if possible. And I need some beads," Asteria said. "They have to be obsidian. I don't know if we can find them though."

"We'll be able to find them," Alice said easily. She was either incredibly optimistic or she had a vision their trip had gone well. Either way, it was hard to argue with Alice. "We can look for those first, get you something to eat, and do some light shopping."

Asteria groaned. "You're idea of light shopping is incredibly different from literally anyone else's idea of light shopping."

"We can't come all this way without picking up a few things," Alice pouted. "Besides, I've already seen you in your new dress and you're going to love it."

"A dress," Asteria asked. "It's cold out, Alice. When am I going to wear a dress?"

Alice just smiled in the front seat, very pleased with herself. "Would you like to make another bet?"

Asteria weighed her options before sighing and shaking her head. "I don't trust that look on your face."

"Smart choice," Jasper commented. Alice playfully swatted his arm as they pulled into the parking lot for a retail craft store.

It was easy to find a hemp cord dyed the perfect shade of blue, but the beads were a little harder. Asteria roamed the jewelry aisles in mild frustration; the beads were labeled 'semi precious stones' without specifying which one. She could think of at least a dozen stones that were black.

Thankfully, vampire eyesight won out again. Alice easily picked out a strand of small, geometric cut beads and asked if they were the right shape. Apparently obsidian was easy to tell when you had perfect vampire vision. Asteria grumbled the word 'cheaters' as she took the beads from Alice and went to the checkout counter. Alice beamed at her, which only lead Jasper to follow suit. They were so insufferable Asteria let them pay for everything without protesting.

Alice insisted on getting dinner at an Italian restaurant which admittedly had fantastic chicken parmesan, and then dragged her off to a small boutique. Asteria grumbled some more as she tried on the nicest sweater dress she had ever seen. It was plush and soft and definitely warm enough. Alice insisted Asteria get it to wear on Thanksgiving.

"Everyone should wear sweatpants on Thanksgiving anyway," Asteria complained as they left the store and loaded their new purchases into the trunk of the Camaro. It ended up spilling into the backseat. Asteria prayed the ride home was quick, or she'd get fairly uncomfortable.

Alice looked personally offended. "I'll pretend you never said that. Please don't tell me you've been wearing sweatpants for holidays. What do you and Liam usually do?"

"I don't know," Asteria said. "We never really celebrated holidays. I think I spent last Christmas at a friend's house. Or I snuck in after their parents went to bed and we got drunk and played Mario Kart. I don't know, it was a while ago."

"So you didn't celebrate holidays," Alice asked sadly.

"It's fine," Asteria said. "Neither of us were the Hallmark type."

"Are you planning on going back home for Thanksgiving," Jasper asked casually, but his question seemed loaded. Asteria's intuition told her they already knew the answer.

"No, I'm staying with Charlie," Asteria said.

"But even if you don't really celebrate, I'm sure you'd like to see your uncle and your old friends," Alice asked.

Asteria sighed. It was better to just be direct, answer the question, and then move on. "I don't have a good relationship with Liam right now, and I didn't keep in touch with any of my friends from Wisconsin. As far as I'm concerned, there's not a lot back there for me."

"I'm sure Charlie is more than happy to have you here, then," Jasper said as he made eye contact. Asteria didn't miss the look Jasper gave Alice, even though it took barely a second. "Maybe it won't be a 'Hallmark' Thanksgiving, but I'm sure it'll be nice."

"Thanks," Asteria said. "I think I'm just making a small dinner. Charlie is gonna watch the game and have Billy and Jacob over."

"Billy Black," Alice asked. She seemed surprised, and there was a hidden sharpness in her voice.

"Yeah, he's Charlie's closest friend," Asteria said. "Why?"

There was a long pause before Alice replied. "A lot of the Quileutes down at the reservation aren't a fan of us."

"Oh," Asteria said. She vaguely remembered that evening at the diner where Billy warned her to stay away. "They know what you are, don't they?"

"They have their legends, I really shouldn't get into it," Alice said. "Just be aware, he won't be too happy about the time you spend with us."

"He can get over it," Asteria said with a roll of her eyes. "Although, if he starts up again it's just going to start another fight between him and Charlie. It would be awkward to kick him out of the house on Thanksgiving. Apparently you're a bit of a sore subject between them."

"Chief Swan is a good man," Jasper said. It was clear he had a lot of respect for Charlie.

The rest of the ride was spent with idle chit chat as Alice went over one thing or another. Asteria sent a quick text to Charlie as a thought formed in her head. The reply came in a few minutes and she was interrupted by Alice's excited squeal from the front seat.

"Did you really just ask Charlie if you could spend the night," Alice asked her.

"The weekend, actually. I hope that's alright. I can always tell him never mind," Asteria faked concern. Alice pulled a face at her but was too happy to care. "I thought it would make it a little easier on you if we were under the same roof. Less to worry about. Plus, it beats making bracelets by myself in my room all night."

Jasper swung the Camaro into Charlie's driveway and Alice hurried her inside. She talked to Charlie while Asteria ran upstairs to work on packing up everything she would need. Hopefully all of this entity nonsense would be over soon; her overnight bag had doubled in size with all the extra witchy supplies she needed.

In the blink of an eye Asteria was in new pajamas on the couch at the Cullens', working on her bracelets as Alice put on a movie. She had insisted on making popcorn and hot chocolate despite the fact that Asteria was the only who would eat anything and was still too full from dinner. Rosalie eventually drifted downstairs and even sat around to finish watching Breakfast at Tiffany's. Alice picked it after Asteria admitted she had never seen it before.

"It's iconic," Alice said as the credits rolled. "What do you mean you never saw it before?"

"Iconic," Asteria snorted. "Try unbelievable."

"Why do you say that," Rosalie asked amused.

"Who just leaves their cat behind for a man," Asteria said with feigned outrage. "She deserved to be alone."

"You like cats," Rosalie asked her.

"Uh, I'm a decent human being, so yeah. Totally unrelatable," Asteria said. "I haven't had a cat since I was little but I'd never just toss it out into the rain."

"Why don't you have any pets now," Alice asked.

"Oh, Liam wouldn't let me," Asteria said. "I never bothered to ask Charlie. Maybe when I move out I'll get one."

"I never understood why people keep pets," Emmett said as he came into the room. "They seem like a lot of effort."

"Hey, I liked my cat," Asteria said defensively. "She was more like an apathetic roommate. She'd come and sit near you, but she wasn't clingy and didn't want a lot of affection."

Emmett laughed. "Sounds like your kind of pet."

Asteria made a face at him. "I know you're trying to tease me, but you're right. She was a good cat. She housetrained herself to go outside, and I never had to see a single mouse."

"You really don't like mice, huh," Rosalie asked with a smile.

"They carried. The plague," Asteria answered in exasperation. "Name a single good thing mice have ever done."

"Stop picking on her," Esme's voice floated in from the dining room. She was sitting with Carlisle and working on plans for a greenhouse.

Asteria made a smug face at Emmett and Rosalie. Emmett leaned over and ruffled her hair and she shot him a dirty look. Asteria would have said a few choice words but Esme's interruption had put her on the moral high ground and she'd be damned if she lost it to Emmett. Instead she focused on completing the bracelet in front of her.

The knot spell itself wasn't hard. Asteria just needed to focus on her desired outcome as she made the bracelet. The obsidian definitely helped to give it grounding power. Still, Asteria wasn't sure if she put enough thought into the spell to give it direction. It was probably better to finish them all before she went to sleep so they could charge in a bowl of sea salt and herbs to give it better direction overnight.

The one thing that drove Asteria mildly crazy about magic was the guesswork. Will the spell work? Who knows, just trust it with your life. If Ailis had recommended it though, then it had to work.

"Maybe you should wrap it up for the night," Alice suggested as she watched Asteria suppress another yawn.

"No, I've only made five so far. I have to get these done so they can charge up overnight," Asteria said.

"You can work on them tomorrow and they can charge tomorrow night," Alice said. There was a brief pause. "You're planning on finishing this tomorrow, aren't you? You want to go to the house and take it on."

Asteria shrugged. "If I can get everything done. It feels like the best timing for it. If something goes sideways I'll still have all of Sunday to recover and try again, and I want to get this done soon. Before Thanksgiving. We're going to have company over and I don't want anyone at risk. It's bad enough I've been worrying about Charlie."

"Will it be rushing things if we try to go tomorrow," Carlisle asked. He was leaning in the doorway now with a worried expression.

"I'm doing all I can. After these bracelets are done, there's not a whole lot more to prepare," Asteria said. "Sitting around is only going to make me go stir crazy. I'm not going to perfect anything more than it is but I'll keep picking at it."

Carlisle nodded. "If you're sure."

"Also," Asteria started. "Who exactly is planning on going? I don't mind everyone going, but too many people present might make the entity suspicious. It needs to believe it has a fair shot."

"I'll be there every step of the way," Alice said firmly and confidently. Asteria nodded at her, resigned to Alice getting her way on the subject.

"I'll be inside too," Jasper nodded. Asteria fully expected that; he'd follow his mate anywhere.

"Maybe it would be better for everyone else to wait outside the house," Rosalie said. "We can rush in if needed, but it would keep us from being underfoot."

"That's fair," Asteria said. "As long as it believes it still has a good shot of taking me out, the entity will go in the house."

"I really don't like that," Alice said.

"It really won't like it, either," Asteria said with a grim smile.

Asteria stayed up another hour working on her bracelets before she could safely call it quits. Having thrown them in a bowl of salt to charge, Asteria promptly changed and collapsed onto Alice's bed. She prayed for decent sleep; she had a feeling she wouldn't get any tomorrow night.


	31. Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny

A/N: Here we are my friends. It's finally time for the showdown. This is the last chapter before the end of part one, which means there's one last chance to get any questions in. Thank you to everyone for reading, following, and reviewing! I can't wait for part two!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Asteria didn't know what she expected when she woke up, but it definitely wasn't birds and sunshine. Waking up fully alert for the day ahead of her, it just didn't strike her as the right vibe. She was planning on having an all out showdown, wasn't there supposed to be a raging storm forecasting it? Where was the symbolism?

Sighing and stretching as she sat up, Asteria figured it was the calm before the storm. Not entirely satisfying, but whatever. She put on unbearably cute slippers Alice had conveniently left out for her and made her way to the kitchen. As always, Esme already had a plate ready to go for her.

"Good morning," Asteria said as she took her usual spot and picked at the waffles in front of her.

"Good morning," Esme replied. She looked up to notice Asteria playing with her food instead of eating. "Not a fan of waffles this morning? I can make you eggs if you'd like."

"Of course not, Esme. They look great," Asteria said. She quickly took a bite. "I just didn't wake up with an appetite."

"Nervous about tonight," Alice asked as she flitted into the room.

"A little," Asteria said. "There's not really much to do about that though."

"Then stop stressing over it," Alice said.

"Oh, thanks," Asteria said. "That's amazing, why didn't I think of that?"

"What I meant was accept that you've done what you can," Alice said with a light tone. "There's no point in thinking about it more than necessary."`!

"Nice advice," Asteria said. "I'm definitely not following it, but thanks."

With a roll of her eyes, Alice made it her mission for the day to pull Asteria out of her state of worry. It sort of worked; Asteria became more worried about Alice's plans than she was about the night ahead of them.

The most successful distraction by far was seeing Emmett in the sunlight. Actually, Alice had been trying to show off Esme's plans for her new garden and Asteria happened to glance out the window and see Emmett walking out to his Hummer.

"Oh my god," Asteria announced with humor as she took in the sunlight reflecting off of him. "Why didn't anyone tell me about this?"

"The sunlight reflects off of our skin," Alice said. "Why did you think we skipped class on sunny days?"

"I don't know, working on your tan or something," Asteria replied.

By that time Emmett had found his way inside again. "Are you making fun of me?"

"Of course not," Asteria said. She only paused a second before singing under her breath, "Rudolph with your nose so bright, won't you guide the way tonight?"

"Very cute," Emmett responded. "If I'm Rudolph you're one of the elves, shortie."

"Play nice," Esme called out from her workspace.

"How come you don't yell at her," Emmett complained.

"Because you're older than her," Esme replied evenly.

Asteria wasn't sure if she liked being equated to a child but she definitely liked the unfair standards so she let it slide. She gave Emmett a self-satisfied grin and reached out to pat his head before going back to the garden plans.

"Anyway, if there's anything in particular you'd like us to grow for you, Esme will be sure to add it," Alice continued like there had been zero interruption. "We've already added every ingredient you've used in your spells so far."

"That's very sweet, thank you," Asteria said. "I can make a list of some of the herbs in my book of shadows but some of them seem kind of obscure. I don't know how much luck you're going to have."

"Oh don't worry about it darling," Esme said as she entered the room. "It'll be nice growing a garden that gets put to good use. As for the plants, I'm sure I can find them at a wholesale greenhouse up near Piedmont. It won't hurt to check anyway."

Lunch came and went as they crowded into the living room. It started as a friendly match between Asteria and Alice as they played checkers and somehow devolved into Carlisle and Edward playing chess. Normally it was a fairly easy win for Edward but Asteria was willing to go out on a limb to help Carlisle win; he was currently wearing her enchanted pendant, which meant Edward couldn't hear his thoughts.

"This is the first honest game Edward will have ever had," Emmett said. "I'm excited to see him lose for once."

"I've beaten Edward plenty of times," Alice interjected.

"I said an 'honest' game," Emmett snorted. "I'd hardly call your three second battles honest."

Alice stuck out her tongue at him. Oh yeah, it was definitely worth giving up her mental block, even if Edward could invade her thoughts.

"I'm actively trying not to hear your thoughts right now, actually," Edward told her as he remained focused on the board. "It's awfully distracting."

"Then maybe you should focus more," Asteria said. While she wasn't a fan of him listening to her thoughts, she also recognized the distraction would help Carlisle and she really wanted to see him win.

"I heard that," Edward said with a wry smile as he moved a bishop into position. "I'm used to everyone else's mental 'voice' but yours, which is why it's harder to tune out."

"Whatever you're doing, keep doing it," Emmett told her. "I've got money riding on this outcome."

"Who would bet against Carlisle," Asteria asked. Emmett nodded at Jasper. "Jasper, how dare you?"

"Just trying to play the odds here," Jasper said with a shrug.

They went back and forth with trash talk for several moves. Everyone that is, except Carlisle and Edward, of course, who were too absorbed in their strategies to make any comments. Asteria watched with her very limited knowledge of chess and mainly focused on the commentary around her.

Feeling a prickling sensation at the back of her neck, Asteria looked around the room and caught a white figure standing off in the corner. It was hard to see clearly, but she could sort of make out the figure shifting back and forth. Asteria took a step towards the spirit.

"What's going on," Alice asked.

Looking back, Asteria saw the game had ended as Edward stood up from his spot and moved closer to Asteria. She realized with her pendant off he could see the spirit in her thoughts.

"It seems another one of Asteria's family members is here," Edward said.

Sighing, Carlisle handed Asteria back her pendant. "And well timed, too. That was a hard fought game."

Edward snorted. "You would have had me in three moves anyway."

By now the Cullen family had the séance drill down pat and Asteria stood in the center of a ring of candles as Brigid appeared in full view. The Cullens didn't try to hide by that point; Brigid already knew they were hanging around.

"Well met, granddaughter," Brigid greeted her.

"Well met to you as well," Asteria replied back. She really didn't have this old school dialect as nailed down as she thought she did. "Did Ailis find you?"

"Yes, and she went through your plan with me," Brigid said. "I must say, I'm fairly proud. You've done well for the level of experience you have. I assume you have the grounding spell done, since you all seem to be relaxing."

Asteria wasn't sure, but she felt like the last part was a bit critical. "I finished it last night. There's a knot spell for every single person to wear, it's made of light blue hemp and obsidian beads. I even let it charge for the night in a bowl of sea salt and cloves."

"Sounds like your work is almost done then," Brigid responded. "I suppose there isn't much to do now but wait for your plan to go into action, which is..?"

"Tonight," Asteria said. "We have to wait for the sun to go down."

"Of course," Brigid said before turning to Alice. "And I take it your family will be there as well?"

Alice nodded. "Jasper and I intend to be in the house with her, and the rest will be waiting outside should something go wrong."

"Which one is Jasper," Brigid asked as she looked around. Jasper reluctantly stepped forward. Asteria watched as Brigid's eyes narrowed slightly at him.

Asteria sighed before responding to Brigid in Gaelic. "An urrainn dhuinn seo a dhèanamh?" Can we please not do this?

Brigid looked at her coolly. "Tha còir agam a bhith draghail. Chan eil a h-uile duine airidh air earbsa dall." I have a right to be concerned. Not everyone deserves blind trust.

Asteria leveled a gaze back at her. Two could play at this game, and she was more than ready to call the other woman out on the nagging feelings her intuition was giving her. "An uairsin carson a tha mi a 'faireachdainn nach eil e dall? Dè tha thu a 'falach?" Then why do I feel like it's not blind? What are you hiding?

Brigid sighed deeply before switching back to English. "Let's deal with the matter at hand, shall we? I can't prepare you more than you already are, but I can offer you my blessing. Go, and do your family proud."

"Thank you," Asteria said, still slightly annoyed at Brigid for dodging the question. There was definitely a secret they were keeping. As much as it annoyed her though, she was right; they had to focus on the entity.

Brigid waved her goodbyes and disappeared. Asteria shook her head as she helped Esme clean up the candles. When this was all over they needed to have a discussion.

"What was that about," Alice asked.

Asteria shrugged. "Hell if I know. She was right though; now isn't the best time to dig up family secrets."

Feeling a somber mood set in, Asteria blew out an annoyed sigh and set to work going over their plan one last time. She tested one of the smoke bombs outside and her coughing was testament enough to how powerful it was. Relieved that at least one part of the plan would work, Asteria set to work on checking over every other aspect. Esme cooked pasta while Asteria sat at the kitchen table unpacking and taking inventory of her bag.

"I'm still not entirely sure of how magic works," Alice said. "Was something supposed to change? Are you expecting something to be different from the last twenty eight times you checked your spells?"

"Ha ha, very funny," Asteria said sarcastically. "This is only the third time. Can you blame me?"

"No, but you're reaching the point of obsession," Alice said. "Take a breath for a second. Let your mind take a break. Get some food in your system."

Perfect timing as always, Esme set a steaming bowl of spaghetti in front of Asteria. "She's right, dear," Esme said. "You'll only work yourself up more."

Sighing, Asteria packed everything up and focused on eating to avoid their combined wrath. Alice carried the supplies out to the car while Asteria picked at her plate. It seemed like the sun took forever to set before they finally loaded into cars and took off. Edward, Jasper, Alice and Asteria took off in the Volvo while the rest piled into Carlisle's Mercedes. Alice became a backseat driver as she called out directions to Edward on which side roads to take.

Asteria took the liberty of stealing the aux cord and caught Edward's annoyed stare. "What? I'm trying to set a tone here and classical lullabies just aren't doing it. No offense."

"Can't be worse than Emmett's choices," Edward said. Jasper grinned. Asteria had no doubt they went round and round on musical tastes.

Selecting her 'bad witch' playlist, she let Lorde's "Glory and Gore" sound throughout the car. Asteria raised an eyebrow at Edward. He just nodded in return, although it looked like the action almost physically pained him.

Asteria zoned out in the backseat and was genuinely surprised when they pulled up the gravel driveway. Suddenly nervous, she did her best to exit the car with her back straight. If things were going to go sideways, she was going down swinging. The Mercedes was parked ahead of them, although it was empty.

Climbing the front steps as slow as she dared, Asteria could hear muffled thumps and scrapes from inside. "Esme, there's no use trying to tidy up right now," Carlisle said with suppressed amusement.

"I just wanted to pick up a bit," Esme said. "This used to be such a lovely little house."

Rosalie gave Asteria a pointed look, and she remembered their conversation the first time the two of them visited the house together. Smiling a bit, Asteria took a look around and tried to prioritize what to do first.

"First of all, we need to sprinkle the cumin and salt on the floor, anywhere we don't want the entity to pop up," Asteria said. "Just spread it evenly throughout every room, and leave an empty trail from the front door. That's where we want to trap it." Emmett and Rosalie got to work quickly, which suited Asteria fine; forty pounds of rock salt mixed with cumin was surprisingly heavy.

Alice retrieved the standing mirror from Rosalie's old room and set it down gently in the sitting area. It was a five foot tall oval shape with a wooden frame attached to it so it could stand upright on wheels that still worked smoothly. Hopefully it was able to disconnect from the base. Maybe this plan wasn't entirely foolproof after all. Asteria shrugged, figuring they were too far in and she'd just have to hope for the best.

"I don't like that look. What are you thinking about," Alice asked critically.

"Just trying to figure out what plan B is," Asteria trailed off as she grabbed her paint. She tossed the bag full of bracelets to Alice so she could pass them out while she slipped her own bracelet onto her wrist.

"You don't have any backups if this goes wrong," Jasper asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Hey, if anything it shows how confident I am about plan A," Asteria said. "Pretty much my whole life hasn't been planned and I'm still kicking somehow, so I'm not too concerned." She got to work painting her sigil and pointedly ignoring the look Jasper had given her.

The other container of paint and a brush were set next to the gateway in the kitchen, ready for use. Looking through the house, Asteria realized there wasn't much else she could do. It was game time. Taking a deep breath, she looked around and nodded.

"Well, this looks like it," Asteria said. "Wrestlemania is about to go down. Place your bets now."

Esme gave her a stern look for her humor before pulling her in for a hug. "You can do this, dear. We're right outside if you need help."

"Knock 'em dead, short stuff," Emmett said.

"I'm gonna actively try to stay alive so that the last words you say to me aren't a terrible nickname," Asteria informed him with a light tone.

"That's a 'no' for short stuff then," Emmett asked with a grin.

Rosalie rolled her eyes. "Actively stay alive regardless." Asteria nodded to her.

Carlisle gave a hug and wished her a simple 'good luck', a sentiment that Edward repeated before nodding at Alice over some unspoken thought. The Cullens filed out of the house, leaving just Asteria, Alice and Jasper to face the impending doom.

"Might as well bite the bullet," Asteria said as she walked towards the first protective sachet of herbs hidden around the house. Alice stopped her by grabbing hold of both her shoulders and looking her square in the eye.

"We can do this," Alice told her. "I know it."

Smiling grimly, Asteria nodded and proceeded with her task of collecting the herb sachets from around the house and then burning them in the bathtub. Half expecting that task alone would cause the entity to appear, Asteria kept looking over her shoulder. She was antsy to get it over with so she wouldn't get attacked in the bathroom like a B rated horror movie.

Burning the last remnants without a hitch, Asteria walked out to meet Alice and Jasper who were staring tensely out the window as if keeping watch. They stood their ground silently, waiting for it to appear.

After five minutes their quiet, dignified watch just became annoying. "Oh for fucks sake," Asteria said as she stomped over to the front door and marched out into the night. Asteria didn't see any of the Cullens and assumed they were hiding off in the trees as discussed. She also didn't see the entity. "Hey, asshole, are we doing this or not because I could be binge watching Netflix right now," Asteria yelled out into the night. She was met with silence.

"You know, there were a lot of ways I thought this could go wrong, but being stood up like a cheap prom date was not one of them," Asteria said in frustration.

"Maybe you should try calling it," Alice asked.

"I never got its number," Asteria said sarcastically. Agitation clearly turned her into a jerk. "A séance only works on spirits, not forces of unspecified evil. Although, I could try giving something a shot."

Asteria stood in the front lawn and started her breathing exercise, rooting her soul to the ground and cleansing her energy. Brigid had suggested the entity had first attached to her when it sensed her magic, maybe it would sense it then. Closing her eyes, she focused on pulling energy from the ground. She could probably use it anyway.

The hairs on the back of Asteria's neck all stood on end, which was her first sign something was wrong. Breaking her meditation, she looked up at the tree line in the distance and saw a dark figure slowly step out into the light of the moon. She made eye contact and stood as straight as she could with her head held high, daring the entity to come closer.

Unfortunately, Asteria had severely misjudged how fast the entity could travel so her power move quickly turned to her mumbling "shit, shit, shit" as she raced towards the open front door. A white blur raced towards her before she felt cold arms picking her up and carrying her into the house way faster than she was capable of. Jasper slammed the front door shut behind them.

"Told you I could improvise," Asteria said as she bent over and tried to catch her breath from her manic sprint. She straightened up and looked out the window as the entity approached closer. The weird black mass shifted erratically and fluctuated in size as it came closer. It was losing control and power as it got weaker.

It took it's time coming up the steps, probably testing to see how far into the house it could go. Realizing the protection spell was gone, the entity passed through the front door like it wasn't even there. The room immediately took on a chill. Asteria had trouble breathing in because the air felt so thick and took a few steps backward.

While they could feel the room change, it appeared as though Alice and Jasper were unable to see the entity. It took a step passed Jasper before flickering erratically. Asteria watched tensely as it reformed itself and advanced in Jasper's direction. There was a split second where everything was quiet, and then Jasper was flying across the room and into a wall as every window in the house shattered.

A piercing shriek brought Asteria to her knees as she frantically covered her ears, but she noticed Alice wasn't affected. The entity took another malevolent step closer and Asteria realized the noise had been its scream. Lifting herself onto shaking legs, she moved backwards into the room until her back touched a wall. Alice stood beside her and held out a hand which Asteria grabbed onto like a lifeline.

The entity seemed to enjoy its game of cat and mouse and stepped closer and closer; Asteria could feel its power escalating and realized she had made a mistake; the entity didn't need to go through the portal to gain energy, it just needed to be close enough to draw on it. It was taking its sweet time because every second it remained, it got stronger.

"We need to move now," Asteria said urgently.

"It's not in place yet," Alice replied.

"We don't have a choice," Asteria said. Moving quickly, Asteria pulled one of her smoke bombs out of her pocket, lit it, and tossed it across the room. It soared through the entity, which let out another shrill scream, before landing near the door and letting off a powerful stream of incense infused smoke.

Jasper moved into the room in a flash with the mirror and kicked it into a better position in the center of the room, faced away from them and towards the entity. Cut off from the doorway by the stream of smoke, the entity tried to move around but shrieked again as it tried to manifest over the cumin and salt. Forced closer to the center of the room by the trap, it bumped into the mirror's surface.

However horrible the other screams had been, it was nothing compared to the shrill screeching it let loose now. Asteria covered her ears again as she watched the mirror shake violently. A trail of inky black smoke swirled around the air before forcefully tunneling through the mirror's face and disappearing from the room.

The mirror trembled slightly as Asteria hesitantly made her way over to it. Stepping around to the front, she saw a black mass frantically passing back and forth in the surface. It paced behind her reflection before zooming up to be front and center. Asteria had to check behind her to be truly sure it wasn't in the room still. It was apparently well and truly trapped.

"Mirror mirror, on the wall," Asteria said as she gazed intently at the entity. "You're a giant dick. Let's go."

Asteria grabbed one side of the mirror and Alice grabbed the other as they lifted it off the base and carried it through to the kitchen. The rest of the Cullens filed through the front door; Edward must have picked up on someone's thoughts and realized it had been captured. They stood in a loose semi circle near the wall as Alice and Asteria brought the mirror within a foot or two of gateway.

"This is it," Alice announced looking at her.

Asteria nodded. "This is it. I never know what to say, 'it's not you, it's me'?"

"How about you just throw the damn thing through and get it over with," Edward asked.

"Fair enough," Asteria said. She shared a look with Alice and together they through the mirror against the wall where it shattered into a thousand pieces.

Alice pulled Asteria behind her to shield her from any stray shards flying through the air. Several tendrils of black smoke shot out of the fragments on the floor and tunneled through the portal with enough force to create a gust of wind and push Asteria back a foot or two.

Just like that, the air felt lighter again. The whole house felt calm, like a gentle peace had descended. A weight had been lifted off of Asteria. Breathing in deeply like a drowning victim regaining use of their lungs, Asteria felt a moment of clarity come over her from her intuition.

Stepping up to the portal, Asteria placed her palms against either side of it and closed her eyes. Without conscious thought fire seeped out of her palms and spread over the sigil that created the portal, burning it efficiently. Asteria could feel the energy leaving her rapidly as her hands began to shake and she lifted them from the wall. Alice handed her a bottle of water to put the fire out and Asteria poured it over after she was sure it had done its job.

"You won't be able to paint over it while it's wet," Rosalie said.

"I don't think I need to now," Asteria said as she cocked her head to the side and looked over her work. Her ability to create fire still scared her, and she'd rather cut off her own arm than use it again, but something told her it was the right thing to do in the moment. "The fire burned any trace of it away."

"That is quite the power you have," Carlisle said.

Asteria nodded, suddenly feeling deeply tired as her lack of energy caught up with her. "Do I look like less of a badass if I pass out right now?"

Alice reached over and supported a lot of her weight as she helped her to the backseat of the Volvo where Carlisle checked her over. Determining that she had simply overworked herself, Carlisle suggested Asteria close her eyes and get some rest. The others quickly packed up and removed all traces of the night's events.

Resting her forehead against the cool glass window, Asteria gave in to her tiredness and fell into a deep, dreamless state with a small smile. Her last conscious thought was of Brigid; she knew that she had, in fact, made her ancestors proud.


	32. All I Want for Xmas is Mental Stability

A/N: I'm baaaack! Holy hell guys, it's been a while. I wish I could say something pretentious like "I was whisked away to Madrid on business and simply couldn't write" but really I just suck. My writing muse was gone for a hell of a long time. I would start this chapter and then it just didn't feel right so I'd toss it and try it again. Anyway, I actually had a dream the other night that was just so odd I knew exactly what to do with it. So the dream in this chapter and what happens when she wakes up are pretty much exactly what I dealt with the other night. It was an interesting night, at least.

Now, I also promised to answer some questions waaaay back when I still had a sense of purpose, and it's time to make good on that promise.

 **1\. Does Bella have any witch in her?** Asteria's other side of the family is where she gets her magic from. Whether or not that means anything for Bella, though... ;)

 **2\. Will Asteria end up with a vampire, or a wolf?** I've stated before that I have a specific person in mind for Asteria, and I promise I do. I can't tell you who, but I will tell you all _when_ he will be here. You won't see him until the events of Twilight have passed. I know, it's a long wait but it puts us somewhere around halfway through Part 2 of my 3 part story here. I've already written snippets of their relationship though, and I promise it's worth the wait.

 **3\. What was the inspiration behind this story?** This is a question that I've gotten in one form or another while writing, especially about the comment Bella throws out to Edward about if Angela were a witch. Honestly, I just wanted a story that showcased witchcraft in a more practical light. It really matched up with my sense of humor as well, which is a huge bonus.

Anyway, thank you so much to readers new and old. This is the end of Part One, and I have to say I'm fairly happy with the way it's gone. I could not have asked for a better reception to this story, and I'm so enthused to see this project develop over time (despite some long breaks). Part Two will continue to be posted to this story so as not to lose any readers along the way, but it will encompass the events of Twilight and New Moon as they change and adapt to fit this story.

Enjoy!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx

It took all of Sunday for Asteria to recover, and she still kind of felt like death when she woke up. It was worth it though. The entity was successfully out of her life and the feeling of peace still surrounded her.

Thanksgiving break gave her plenty of time to bounce back. Asteria spent plenty of time with the Cullens, but was able to sneak off to Natalie's as well to hang out with the gang. They noticed Asteria's improved mood, but thankfully didn't call her out on it.

Dinner with Charlie, Billy, and Jake was another matter entirely. Asteria cooked up the full works with some help from Esme; the motherly vampire had thankfully saved her the painful task of making pie dough after three failed attempts to get the right consistency. Alice had warned her that the Blacks may not appreciate their involvement, but Asteria just grinned as she mixed the pie filling. What was a family holiday without a little drama?

"Everything looks great, Asteria," Billy said as he wheeled himself into the kitchen. She turned around just in time to swat him away from the food on the table.

"I should have warned you, she's got a sixth sense for people sneaking food. I haven't gotten a single bite yet," Charlie called from his place on the couch.

Asteria rolled her eyes. "I'm not starving you. Dinner will be ready in five minutes. I assume you won't keel over and die in that time?"

"I'll make it through, just barely," Charlie replied with equal sarcasm. Sometimes Asteria wondered if she was a bad influence on him.

Jacob thankfully helped set the table and Asteria had barely announced the food was ready before the table was full. To be fair, it did smell damn good. She had made enough for an entire family reunion, figuring it would make good leftovers, but by the end of the carnage it looked like she had just enough for an extra meal or two. She had no clue how Jacob had managed to eat so much without exploding but it was oddly impressive.

"That was worth the wait, kiddo. You outdid yourself this time," Charlie said as he leaned back in his seat after eating the last bite of cobbler.

"Everything was great, right down to the apple pie," Billy said.

"Oh, thank you, but I actually had some help with that," Asteria said as nonchalantly as she could manage. "It's Esme Cullen's favorite pie crust recipe. She helped me make it herself; it's the one thing I'm terrible at."

The room became oddly silent for a moment, and it reminded Asteria of being inside a tornado. She had to stop herself from looking to see if the sky was tinged green outside. "I thought you said you were staying away from the Cullens," Billy asked.

"Billy, don't start it," Charlie warned him. "The Cullens aren't the problem here. They've been nothing but nice for the whole town, and they've helped Asteria a lot."

Asteria shrugged. "They've been great to hang out with so far."

"I don't-," Billy started before Charlie cut him off.

"I'm not going to have this in my house," Charlie told him. "The game is on and you're welcome to stay and watch it so long as you can stop. I won't have you bad mouthing Asteria's friends after they helped make us a nice meal."

Jake fidgeted in his seat for a second; Asteria was sure he was used to this uncomfortable tension by now. Billy stared at Charlie for a second before nodding and rolled his chair into the living room. Charlie sighed and followed him.

They watched the game in relative silence for the rest of the night and Asteria took that time to do the dishes. Charlie had offered to do them, but she liked the reprieve it gave her from dealing with the nonsense in the living room. She was sure this wasn't the last she'd hear from Billy about the whole mess, but with Charlie nearby he was forced to bite his tongue.

Black Friday was surprisingly not the ordeal Asteria had figured it would be. It turned out the biggest shopping holiday of the year was the one day Alice Cullen couldn't be bothered to shop. Still, she supposed it made sense; the Cullens didn't exactly need to be thrifty with their spending habits, and crowded stores full of humans sounded like a bad place for vampires to hang out, especially if there was bloodshed over discounted electronics and toys.

Then came Saturday, the day of the infamous party Rachael had invited Asteria to. Feeling completely renewed and ready for a fun break, Asteria had happily climbed into Natalie's old Beetle and spent the night laughing away in Hoquiam. She settled for two drinks, sure that it was an excellent compromise for the Cullens. It was nice to raise a little hell in the metaphorical sense instead of the literal one for once.

That rounded off their Thanksgiving break with Sunday, which was apparently the perfect holiday shopping time according to Alice. Rosalie drove the three of them to Olympia where they went in and out of so many shops that Asteria didn't bother reading the names of them anymore.

"Oh, don't be melodramatic," Alice said with a roll of her eyes. "Finding the perfect gift takes a lot of trial and error. It's better to shop early and often."

"Yeah, but that's your attitude the entire year, not just around Christmas," Asteria shot back. Rosalie did a poor job of concealing her grin at their back and forth.

"Come on, surely you want to find the best gift for Charlie," Rosalie said.

"Well, I was kind of wondering about a new pair of boots for him," Asteria said. "It started as a lie so I could throw a protection spell in his boots, but now I'm kind of liking it." They had smelled particularly potent when she was messing with them, and even the strange mix of herbs couldn't mask the smell they had.

With a burst of inspiration, Asteria realized she could get him new boots and magically alter them. A bit of luck and a small protection spell wouldn't hurt him after all. Upon realizing that, she wondered if that should be the theme for all her presents and decided it would make it a lot easier to find appropriate gifts for the vampire family that could literally buy themselves anything.

Feeling a little less lost, Asteria managed to make the most of their shopping trip. She found a beautiful journal for composing music that she would put an inspiration sigil inside to give to Edward. An antique pen and inkwell set for Carlisle could easily be charmed. A gardening set for Esme would receive a "green thumb" spell. She was sure Emmett would thoroughly enjoy a new controller for his video game console with a good luck spell on it- a throwback to her first visit to their house.

Jasper's present would be a little more in depth, but it was one Asteria felt compelled to complete. In fact, she was a little peeved at herself for not trying it sooner. She was going to attempt a shield spell- similar to the one on her mother's necklace- that could at least tone down the violent wave of emotions he had to deal with from hormonal teenagers at high school. Alice seemed overjoyed by the thought and easily picked out a ring suitable for the spell.

"I'm sure it's going to work," Alice said cheerily. "Thank you so much! Jasper's gift is a blessing and a curse for him, and while I wouldn't take away his talent for anything, I think he'll enjoy the respite."

Faced with the smaller girl's overwhelming confidence, Asteria began to feel apprehensive. Most of her magic was a shot in the dark and she was afraid Alice was putting too much stock into it. "Listen Alice, thank you for the vote of confidence and all, but I- and I cannot stress this enough- have literally no clue what I'm doing. With anything. But mainly with magic."

"Oh, don't be so hard on yourself," Alice replied cheerily. "I know it's going to work."

"You've had a vision of it," Rosalie asked her.

"No, it's just a feeling," Alice said. "But it's a feeling I would bet money on."

"You know, that statement doesn't mean a whole lot when you've got a bunch of disposable income," Asteria said as they climbed back in the car. All of their purchases were piled in the trunk, including numerous gifts for Asteria's other friends and Charlie's boots. "By regular people standards, you guys should have pet tigers and private islands or whatever other cliché things Bond villains have."

"We do have several private islands," Rosalie said with an almost imperceptible amused tone in her voice.

"Why the hell have I not been invited to some sunny getaway by now," Asteria said with mock outrage. "You're telling me I could have been on a white sand beach with a cabana boy fanning me this whole time?"

"You'll have to bring your own cabana boy," Rosalie said.

"Ah, well, there's always a catch," Asteria said. "Guess I'll just stay in Forks."

The days flew by until it was halfway through December. Alice ensured Asteria's Christmas shopping was done within the first few days of the month, and she had made decent progress on enchanting various gifts. Midterms were another struggle though, and Asteria spent way too much time attempting to finish projects she admittedly should have started weeks prior.

Finally satisfied with her half-assed attempt of an English paper, Asteria called it quits just past midnight on the last school night of the year. After a Friday full of tests the student body would be free for thirteen whole days. All she had to was get a full night's sleep.

Asteria had the vague sense she was in a dream, but it was so unlike the rest of her dreams that it seemed surreal. Looking down, she noticed a full ball gown that reminded her of historical dramas, as well as a thick cloak hanging from her shoulders. She was somehow able to make out the glistening gold crown atop her head.

What was odder still was the pile of bones she carried in her hands, which Asteria intuitively knew to belong to a horse. Her body moved without her consent, as if she was in a deep trance. She carried the bones under the light of a full moon into an old forest that had a foreboding aura around it. Something dark thrived deep in the branches that surrounded her.

Finally reaching a small clearing, Asteria knelt and dug a hole in the pitch black soil to bury the bones. No sooner had she fully covered them than a brilliant white horse sprang up from the ground, made whole and new. Asteria climbed onto the horse nimbly, now aware of the bow and quiver of arrows hanging from her back.

The horse took off into a full gallop through the trees as she heard the howls of wolves sound out around her. Not in the least frightened, she could make out the pack of wolves flanking her on either side. The horse didn't shy from its path once, and Asteria realized the wolves were escorting them through the forest. She got the distinct feeling they were all riding towards a dark, forlorn evil they would need to battle-

Asteria sat bolt upright in bed and gasped for air. She felt disoriented beyond belief, as if she had been pulled under by a riptide and was just able to break through the waves after they pushed and pulled her around underwater with no oxygen. The screen of her phone lit up as she reached for it and she was able to see it was 3:33 in the morning.

Taking one final breath, Asteria came to the abrupt conclusion she was going to be sick and barely stumbled to the bathroom in time before losing everything her stomach had to offer. She slumped down onto the cool bathroom tiles and resolved to lie there until the world stopped spinning. After a long time spent wondering what the hell was wrong with her, she climbed up on shaky legs and passed out on the much more comforting bed.

Waking up in the morning was harder than it had ever been. Asteria literally dragged herself out of bed and made the bare minimum of effort to get ready for the day ahead of her, which she intuitively knew would suck. She did her best to ignore the events of the night before; after all, she only had about two working brain cells left this close to the end of the semester, and she really needed them to do well on her midterms.

The Cullens definitely noticed her mood. Alice took in her disheveled appearance with raised eyebrows. "I don't want to talk about it," Asteria cut her off before Alice could fully dive in.

"Did you stay up all night writing that paper," Alice asked her reproachfully. "I told you to start it sooner or this would happen."

"Just out of curiosity," Asteria said after taking a giant gulp of scalding coffee that nearly made her choke, "if you had an action figure of yourself do you think it's catch phrase would be 'I told you so'?"

Emmett's snickering laughter caused Alice to aim her glare at him instead of Asteria, something she was somewhat grateful for. It was going to be a while before her brain fully woke up enough for witty banter.

The day passed in a haphazard montage of scantron sheets and number two pencils. Asteria had finally processed her weird dream and decided there was only one thing she could do about it if she wanted to retain her sanity. It was time to get to know more of the family.

Asteria was fairly positive she had seen some entries on dreams in her book of shadows, and while she wasn't entirely sure which ancestor it had been she knew someone would have some answers for her. She just couldn't get over the odd feeling to the dream; it was like she fell back into her body while waking up.

"Are you going to come over and celebrate our freedom," Emmett asked as they walked out to the parking lot.

"What? Uh, sorry Emmett, I have some things I need to look into," Asteria said distractedly.

"You've been like this all day," Rosalie commented. "Is something wrong?"

"Not wrong, exactly. Or maybe. I'm not quite sure. I think I need to make another long distance phone call to the family and find out," Asteria said. She wasn't sure if anyone was listening in, but it made her feel slightly better to be cryptic about witchcraft in public.

"You can do your séance at our house," Alice said brightly as she snuck up behind them. Rosalie shot her a reproachful look. "Oh, relax, we're well out of earshot. Besides, Charlie is off today and he'll be home in-," Alice paused as she used her gift to sense the future, "-forty minutes. You wouldn't want him to accidentally walk in mid séance would you?"

Asteria heaved a deep sigh that showed her acceptance. "I guess I'll be over as soon as I grab my things." She drove slightly under the speed limit partly to annoy Alice, who was no doubt eagerly awaiting her arrival, and partly to forestall the inevitable. Just because Asteria wanted answers didn't mean she was excited to get them. She decided to play "Written in the Water Die Regardless" by Gin Wigmore on repeat and take a little extra time to enjoy the song several times by the time she had arrived.

Well aware of the drill, Alice had everything all set up and ready to go by the time Asteria arrived. The only thing she hadn't done was mix together the herbs, although they sat neatly lined up on the counter waiting for Asteria.

Asteria walked in rifling through the pages of her book of shadows, determined to find the right relative to call upon. She found her spell for dream pillows, as well as one for prophetic dreams and backtracked until she found the beginning of the section. "Cynthia," Asteria read aloud as she caught the transfer in handwriting that marked the book being passed down to the next generation.

"Who is that," Alice asked curiously.

"I think she's my great-great-grandma. I haven't gotten to her section of the book yet, but I did use her dream pillow spell before," Asteria said. "It looks like she did quite a bit of dream magic so she's probably my best bet."

"It's worth a try," Alice agreed before they got to work.

Asteria belatedly worried if the séance would work; Brigid and Ailis had already been hanging around when Asteria had summoned them, after all. What if Cynthia was too far away to reach? Asteria said the last bit of Gaelic and held her breath.

"You look like you're deep in thought," an amused voice commented. Asteria looked up to see the form of a woman solidify into a mostly opaque, spectral version of her former self. Cynthia was striking in black hair and pale skin. Her spirit appeared physically older than Brigid or Ailis, and Asteria belatedly realized it was because neither of them made it to a particularly old age.

"I was just hoping you would come," Asteria said. "I was worried you wouldn't hear my call. I'm Asteria, by the way. I think you're my great-great-grandma."

"Of course I would come! I know who you are, child," Cynthia smiled kindly. The smile reached all the way to her eyes where the wrinkles crinkled at the corners. "Did you think the wind pushed the pages of your book of shadows?"

"I wasn't aware I had so many ancestors snooping around," Asteria replied wryly. "Can I also assume you know my dream from last night, then?"

"Sorry, my dear, but I'm not always in this world," Cynthia replied, "nor would I be able to see your dreams if I were. But tell me, is this the same dream that gave you trouble before?"

"No," Asteria said quickly. She wasn't willing to get into her old nightmare, not with so many vampires in the house with perfect hearing. "This was…well, it was an experience."

She quickly took Cynthia through her dream, trying her best to express the surreal quality behind it. "And then I woke up gasping for air, like I fell back into my body or swam underwater. When I looked at the clock it said 3:33 am, which I thought was super creepy by the way, and then I just felt so disoriented I threw up."

Cynthia was silent for a long moment which did nothing to help Asteria's anxiety. Finally, the old woman spoke. "I knew you would receive the call, but still. That was rather impressive."

"I'm sorry could you be less cryptic here because I've been kind of losing it all day over this," Asteria said.

Cynthia smiled at her, equal parts indulgent and strangely sad. "Dreams are often used to communicate between this world and the next. Many believe in prophetic dreams, which come from whatever higher power you believe in. It is my belief, my dear, that this is your 'call to arms'. The crown and bow and arrows suggest your own personal power. The white horse often represents spiritual freedom and power, and takes on more significance considering your resurrection of it in your dream. The wolves surrounding you are protection and guidance, with the pack even suggesting a family presence."

"The fact that you woke up at precisely 3:33 is no coincidence either," Cynthia continued in the silence. "The number 333 is deeply spiritual and suggests that this message came from a powerful source. And it's no surprise you were sick afterwards; your soul was very well thrown through a loop with such a powerful message."

"What exactly are you saying," Asteria fought to say. Her mouth was suddenly very dry.

"You are being called on, my dear, to use your powers to help others. Many in this family have been called on in one way or another, but I must say your dream is one of the more impressive ones I've heard," Cynthia said. "It can be daunting to hear, but try not to be afraid. Your wolf pack in your dream is your family, and we are always around you to help."

Asteria sat dumbfounded before her ancestor, mouth slightly ajar and eyes quickly becoming wet with tears that hadn't fallen. What the hell was she supposed to say to that? 'Overwhelming' didn't begin to even cover it.

A cold hand gripped her shoulder comfortingly, and Asteria looked up to see Alice trying to reassure her. She had disappeared when Asteria started the séance to offer 'privacy' but couldn't have gone far; she was apparently close enough to hear the direction things had turned.

Asteria took a deep breath and nodded gratefully at Alice, blinking back the tears before turning to face Cynthia again. Surprisingly, it looked like she was in her own form of shock. Cynthia looked between the two girls before her as if she had seen a ghost, the irony of which was not lost on Asteria.

"This is my friend, Alice," Asteria awkwardly said. "I'm not sure if you're aware of the Cullens, but their family has helped me a lot with all of this. I know our family has a certain prejudice against vampires, but even Brigid and Ailis are okay with them."

Cynthia recovered from her shock enough to reply in a flustered tone. "Right, of course. Thank you to your entire family for helping Asteria."

"I'm glad to," Alice replied easily. "Asteria is practically family by now."

Asteria didn't miss the odd affect her words had on Cynthia. "Is something wrong?"

Cynthia blinked and shook her head a few times before putting on a tight smile. "No, no my dear. I think the future holds quite a few surprises for you, but it would be best to leave them for now."

"What do you know," Asteria asked suspiciously.

"You will find out soon enough, I think, but in your own time," Cynthia said. "I know enough about the fickleness of fate to leave it alone."

"That's not weirdly cryptic or upsetting at all," Asteria commented.

"Do me a favor though, child. Call on me again when the moment is right; I will be more than happy to answer whatever questions I can then," Cynthia said.

"Sure thing," Asteria said.

"Until we meet next, then," Cynthia said with that same tight smile that no longer reached her eyes. "Take care of each other." She disappeared before Asteria could say goodbye as well.

"I understand that we're witches and all," Asteria complained. "But does that mean that everyone has to be so dramatic and cryptic? It's like a family full of theater majors. Hey, are you okay?" Asteria finally noticed the odd expression on Alice's face as she continued to stare at the spot Cynthia had left.

"I don't know, but I agree with your sentiments; they're definitely not straightforward, are they," Alice asked before brightening back to her usual self. "Never mind that for now, Esme baked sugar cookies earlier today. I'm sure she would love some help decorating. Shall we?"

Flakes of snow began to swirl down outside, coating the world in a fresh blanket of icy white. Asteria's mind whirled with a storm of her own, questions churning around about her own future, her family secrets, and the rest of the unknown. She was sure a bigger storm was on its way, but for now…for now she laughed with Esme, Alice, and the rest of the Cullens as they enjoyed their day.

End of Part One


	33. Calls are Coming from Inside the House

**Part Two**

 **Chapter Thirty Three: The Calls are Coming from Inside the House**

A/N: Hey guys! I'm back again with Part Two. I'm so excited for this. I decided to split this story into three parts to mark this journey out. Part One, before Bella arrives, is Asteria coming into her own and starting to embrace the magic in her. In Part Two, which will hold the events of Twilight and New Moon, we see Asteria leveling up like she's blaring Lizzo nonstop. I have so many subplots going on and I'm so excited for several of them to come out.

I've decided to make a couple of formatting changes with the story as well. If I ever stop being lazy I may go back and fix the first part, but we all know that's a cute lie. I always like to pick a song that I feel helps me capture the mood of either the whole chapter or a scene and had originally written that into the story. It's kind of felt forced lately, so instead I'm going to list it at the beginning of the chapter instead.

I also really want to interact with the reviews that I get more. I'm just always so happy to see people commenting on my story and loving it as much as I enjoy writing it.

Littlecosma001- I am definitely loving the new dynamic of having Bella around, especially because I feel the two have such different personalities in some aspects. Asteria definitely loves keeping secrets, so you're probably right about Bella and the Cullens. Sadly, the wolves in the dream were not hinting at the wolf pack. They represented Asteria's ancestors protecting and guiding her. I probably could have changed it to a different animal to make it less confusing, but wolves are the best representation of a family unit, especially in dreams. Also it was entirely based off that crazy dream I had the other night so I just wrote it word for word pretty much.

I'm gonna be honest, I love writing angst. So much. Too much. I'm so excited for the second half of part two. I've had little snippets of ideas saved and written down for future parts of the story, and a lot of them fall into the later chapters of this part.

I don't /hate/ Bella. To me, she is the product of her upbringing: having to be mature from a young age, no siblings, no close girlfriends growing up. Back when Twilight first came out and everyone was "Team Jacob" or "Team Edward" I remember reading something about being "Team Bella" and letting her grow into herself and become confident. I think that she really suffered from not having that close connection to help her. Edward pulled some shit that he admittedly made up for, but still kind of hit me the wrong way. Jake was almost worse, repeatedly throwing her in situations she didn't want, and yet Bella still kind of let it go on. If this was going on with one of my friends, you best believe they would be sat down so I can reevaluate their relationship for them, and vice versa. Out of love. For instance, if I had a boyfriend leave me out of the blue my friends would give me like a week max before kicking my ass out of that depression. She does get props for punching Jake in the face, though. That's kind of why I wanted to see her interact with Asteria. I want to see a different version of Bella that feels more empowered.

Thank you so much for your review! It gave me a chance to speak on some things that I really wanted to address.

Also a special shoutout to Fanfiction for literally always cutting off my long chapter titles. Let me live my life you sadists.

 **Song Inspiration:** "Scotland" by the Lumineers

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Asteria forgot how obnoxious the curtains in her old bedroom at Liam's had been. The fabric had been so dark and looked promising, but sunlight streamed through the material like it was lace. All it really accomplished was giving the room an odd, purple vibe. Stretching, she gave up on sleep and climbed out of bed to make breakfast.

When Liam had first invited her over for Christmas break, Asteria almost laughed; it seemed incredibly half-hearted. It was pretty last second after all; if someone invites you home for the holidays, they generally do it two days before Christmas. Still, it didn't seem like a bad offer so Asteria sucked it up and agreed to spend a few days between Christmas and New Years Eve.

Asteria was adamant about spending Christmas in Forks. Charlie's usual gruff nature hid most of it, but she could tell he was happy to have someone to spend the holiday with. Even though she wasn't big on the sentimentality, she made sure to include as many traditions as she could sneak in for him. They had a nice time watching classic holiday movies and drinking hot cocoa on Christmas Eve and Charlie stopped her just short of leaving out milk and cookies for Santa, to her amusement.

Christmas morning was spent with Charlie eating a big breakfast and opening presents. Charlie was thrilled with his boots, collection of old Western DVDs, and various other assorted gifts. Asteria had tried to rein it in, but most of it was Alice's doing…and honestly he deserved it, so Asteria was willing to let it happen. He responded in kind, leaving Asteria with some somewhat questionable but well intended purchases, like hiking boots and a slightly-too-big mauve raincoat.

"I know how much you like to go out in the woods," Charlie clarified awkwardly. "I had a sales lady help me pick it out. She said lots of girls your age get that color."

"Thanks Charlie," Asteria beamed. The gift was very thoughtful and on the nose, considering how often she actually ventured into the trees. He did manage to take her by surprise with some concert tickets for the Lumineers, to the point that Asteria stared wide eyed at him in shock.

"Charlie, how did you even know to get me these," Asteria asked.

"Hey, I'm hip. I'm in the know," Charlie said. "It was actually Jake's idea. He said you wear band t-shirts, so I should find one and try to get you tickets. Did I do good?"

"You did amazing," Asteria said excitedly. "Thank you!"

"There was actually something I wanted to talk to you about too, kiddo," Charlie said. "It's nothing bad. It's actually, well, I talked to Bella last week. Phil, her mom's husband, has got a new job and Renee wants to move with him. Bella was wanting to move here, to Forks."

"Oh," Asteria said as she processed it. She hadn't seen Bella since she was about six or seven, and didn't have much to go on about her. Worry briefly crossed her over how things would change but she stomped that back down before it could ruin their Hallmark moment. "That sounds great. I can't imagine how excited you must be."

"Yeah, it'll be nice having all three of us together here. Might make things a little more cramped, but at least you'll still have your own room," Charlie said.

Asteria exhaled in relief; childish as it was, she wasn't certain if her sudden invite to Liam's and Charlie's announcement were related. She was glad he hadn't caught on to her thought process.

"I'm sure everything will be fine. I can't remember the last time I saw Bella though, it'll be fun to catch up," Asteria said. "When is she coming?"

"Her flight comes in on the third," Charlie said. "I'm gonna drive up to Port Angeles to pick her up."

"Oh, cool. That doesn't give her any time before school starts though," Asteria said.

"Do you think you could help her out on her first day," Charlie asked. "Show her around the school; make sure she has somewhere to sit at lunch or whatever? She's not as…talkative as you are."

"I think you just tried to sugar coat calling me annoying, but sure," Asteria joked. "She's not a senior, is she?"

"No, she's a junior," Charlie said. "Do you have any junior friends you can introduce her to?"

Grinning widely, Asteria responded. "I know just the girl."

Driving over to the Cullens' afterward, Alice was more than enthusiastic with her new job of welcoming committee. Like, excessively. To the point Asteria was slightly worried for Bella. Sticking out her tongue, Alice promised to behave. Christmas with the Cullens went great after that.

Asteria walked away from the ordeal with far more presents than anticipated, to the point that it was comical bordering on ridiculous. Figuring it would be rude to refuse gifts (that had also been meticulously picked out to fit her tastes) she simply loaded the Camaro and hoped the bumper wouldn't drag on the ground from all the added weight.

Comparatively, her late celebration with Liam was much tamer. They exchanged presents on her first night there, but other than that they kept out of each other's hair. It was exactly like when she used to live with him. Still, she was afraid to rock the boat too much and settled for skulking around the house.

There were old friends Asteria could have contacted, but mostly she didn't want to. They had essentially dropped contact after she moved to Forks aside from the occasional text. It just didn't feel right to go chasing after that past. Besides, she still had some bad memories from her last hurrah over the summer; it was better left alone.

Instead, Asteria found herself trying frantically to pull the attic door and ladder down from the ceiling. The pull cord was just a few inches too high up no matter how much she jumped for it and it was starting to get ridiculous. Finally giving up in favor of passing out on the floor, Asteria glared up at the door that mocked her above.

If she remembered right, Liam had stored a bunch of old family keepsakes up there and Asteria was genuinely interested in seeing what they had. Looking at everything with new, witchy eyes would probably have a lot of new discoveries.

Frustrated, Asteria glowered at the door above her. "I know you people are always spying on me. Now would be a great time for someone to power up and pop the door open. Help a girl out."

Asteria stayed still for a moment, wondering if one of her ancestors would make a timely appearance and pull the door open. After a solid minute she sat up with a groan, "of course not, because why would you? Its fine, whatever."

Brushing imaginary dust off her pants, Asteria sat up and went to find something more productive to do. It just led her right back to her room, where she checked all of her old hiding places for the thousandth time to make sure she wasn't forgetting anything. A loud creaking noise came from the hallway and Asteria turned back to look through the doorway.

The attic door was pulled down completely, the rickety ladder fully unfolded and ready to climb. "Okay I know I asked for this, but it's still a little creepy. Now I'm kinda wondering how often you guys are spying on me," Asteria rambled as she started her slow ascent.

Asteria was almost to the top when she briefly wondered if this was a trap but figured it was too late. Shrugging she pulled herself up into the dust covered attic. Thankfully, a single large window in the north wall provided enough light to see that she didn't trip around blindly. The attic was pretty much the same as she remembered and after a minute looking around she spotted the old overhead light and turned it on.

Boxes were stacked haphazardly around the room, which was a firm testament to Liam's organizational skills. Asteria sorted through the boxes, thankful that Liam had at the very least written their contents on the lid. It was in his god awful chicken scratch, but at least it was something to go off of.

Finally finding a stack of boxes in the corner that had her mother's name on them, Asteria lifted the first lid. She hadn't braced herself for what she might see and almost burst into tears at the stack of carefully wrapped family pictures from their old collage wall. Breathing deeply to keep the tears from falling, she set the lid back on top and moved to the next. She should have realized there would be plenty of mementos she didn't want to see, but she was a bit short sighted on the task at hand.

Digging through the boxes far more hesitantly now, Asteria failed to find anything besides painful memories. She did find her mom's old Christmas ornaments and saved a few of the more memorable ones before putting the box back; surely Liam would never notice. Besides, they were technically hers anyway.

Leaning back against a wall Asteria stared out into the attic with agitated, wet eyes. She had just started to give up on everything when a flash of white in the corner caught her eye. Concentrating hard, she could just make out the human shape to it before it dissipated next to an old steamer trunk. Curiosity renewed, Asteria wiped her eyes on her sleeve and scrambled over to it.

The trunk might as well have been a treasure chest. Old family photo albums, as in old photos back when black and white were the only color options sat at the top of the trunk. Digging deeper she found various journals, old jewelry, crystals, little hand sewn pillows, and virtually anything else with witchy vibes. Laughter escaped Asteria as she found exactly what she was looking for.

Glancing at her phone, she realized Liam would be home from work in half an hour. Afraid he might get mad at Asteria for digging through stuff, or god forbid want to take a look at all of it, she settled for grabbing a journal or two and shutting the trunk before going down the ladder and sealing the attic again. She could look again while he was at work the next day.

Asteria took her treasure back down to her old room, where she gladly sprawled across the bed to flip through her findings. She turned the volume up on her music, knowing that Liam wouldn't interrupt her if he could hear her upstairs.

Ironically, the first journal she had pulled out was Cynthia's. It appeared to start after Cynthia had passed the main book of shadows onto her daughter; Asteria wondered if everyone had their own journal after passing the book down, and figured it made sense. She flipped through Cynthia's journal to give it a cursory glance before hearing Liam enter the house.

After a very tense, awkward dinner Asteria headed back up to her room. She idly wondered how much Liam knew about their family's supernatural side but quickly decided she'd never ask; she had a strong suspicion it had something to do with his falling out with the rest of the family and figured it was better left alone.

Starting to read through Cynthia's journal, Asteria felt like she was skipping chapters of plot in a book. After all, in the main book of shadows she was just starting Lillian's section. Come to think of it, Lillian had mentioned a daughter named Mary, so Cynthia was probably a few sections away. Regardless, Asteria still read a few pages here and there.

Cynthia's insight was remarkably helpful. It seemed like she specialized in dream pillows, the meanings behind dreams and tarot. Based on Asteria's one encounter with her so far, it looked like Cynthia had a definite flair for being dramatic and cryptic. She reminded Asteria of her old English teacher that also lead the drama department. Snorting at her own assessment, she wondered over what exactly Cynthia had said before about secrets. It definitely took on a new meaning now that she was directed over to the trunk that held some of the other witch's belongings.

"Cynthia," Asteria called out in a whisper. "Are you still stalking me? Wanna weigh in on the weird taboo stuff you were talking about?" Asteria waited, but the room remained silent. "Yeah, no, that's cool too. Don't answer its fine. Not frustrating at all."

She continued to flip through Cynthia's writings, but had to pause when she saw something about Mary. Wasn't that supposed to be her mom or something? Asteria was a little iffy on this portion of the family tree. Leaping back, Asteria found out based on context that Mary was Cynthia's older sister who had apparently passed away early, but couldn't figure out anything more. Puzzled, Asteria shelved that idea until she could get back home to look at the main book of shadows.

The last two days of Asteria's trip were spent in the attic, carefully sifting through what she had wanted to take back to Forks. She figured it was her right as the witch of the family to take it, especially because she was led to it. There was a strong chance Liam would never know it was gone. Well, unless he saw her leave with roughly thirty more bags than she arrived with of course.

Realizing she couldn't take all of it with her on the plane, Asteria did her best to pack up what she wanted and send it in the mail. She ended up with several overly large boxes that would probably cost her an arm and a leg to ship, but she figured it was worth it. Sneaking them over to the post office while Liam was out of the house, Asteria congratulated herself on a task well handled as she walked back to Liam's house.

"Asteria, is that you," a voice called out and stopped her dead in her tracks. Turning, she saw one of her old friends, Emma. "Oh my god, it is you! What are you doing back in town?"

"Oh, hey. I came back to spend a few days with Liam," Asteria told her. She couldn't help but notice how neither of them went in for a hug. "I'm actually leaving tomorrow."

"What a shame, there's no time for us to get everyone together," Emma said. "Well, it would probably be awkward anyway."

"Why is that," Asteria asked, suspicious of the other girl's fake concern.

"Oh, I guess you've been out of the loop," Emma said before looking around the street and leaning in like she was about to spill some massive secret. "Pretty much everyone is on Ryan's side of the breakup, sorry. It's just, you were gone, and he had that accident and had to go to the hospital…it didn't look very good for you."

"Excuse me," Asteria asked in an icy tone. Her chest felt hollow.

"Oh come on, Asteria," Emma said with a little laugh that held no humor. "You had to know how it looked to everyone. You threw that big party and then Ryan got hurt. He had to go to the hospital, he almost got third degree burns, and then you break up with him over it, all because he got your party busted. Then you move away and lose all contact-"

"That," Asteria said with an edge, "is not what happened at all. But you know what? I don't give a shit. I'm out of here." With that, she pushed past the girl she used to call a friend.

"It's fine anyways," Emma called after her. "You should know he's with Chelsea now. They make the cutest couple."

Almost shaking with anger, Asteria rounded the corner and kept her head high until she was safely in Liam's house, where she slammed the door shut. She knew gossip would spread, which is exactly why she dropped all ties with everyone, but the lies still stung at her. Taking a deep breath, she pushed down all of her memories of that night, of Ryan, of the whole stupid town, and went to pack her things. She just wanted to be ready for a quick getaway.

Dinner was another bleak affair; thankful for Liam's usual silent behavior towards her, Asteria was able to go back to her room after. Having shipped everything that she had wanted back to Forks, however, had left her with nothing better to do.

Asteria's phone pinged. Figuring it was Alice continuing on with their earlier conversation, she gladly checked her texts. Instead it was a new text from Sierra, whom she also hadn't talked to since leaving this god forsaken town.

Hey, I heard Emma say you were in town. Well, I actually heard Emma being a bitch about it to Chelsea. Are you really home?

Asteria groaned before writing back. I leave tomorrow. I was only here for a day or two so I didn't want to bother anyone. Leave it to Emma to blow everything up though.

Sierra was incredibly nice about the whole situation, and Asteria was reminded that she had actually been a decent friend during her time in Greenfield. They texted well into the night, and Asteria resolved to make a better connection with her. She thankfully skirted the whole ordeal with Ryan, which she was incredibly thankful for.

There was no relief quite like coming back to Forks the next day. It was New Year's Eve which meant she needed to get home and prepare for a night of fun with a much better crowd of friends than Greenfield had ever afforded her. She made record time pulling up to Natalie's house.

Natalie laughed as Asteria pulled her into a fierce hug. "What, did you miss the tiny town of Forks while you were out there traveling the world?"

"Immensely," Asteria said as she pulled away.

"Are you okay," Natalie asked with an intuitiveness that was unlike her.

"Nope, not really," Asteria responded. Natalie was just aware enough of how bad things were in Greenfield before Asteria came to Forks to know she shouldn't ask more questions.

"Wanna party until you feel better," Natalie asked.

"Lead the way," Asteria announced.

The rest of the night was spent in a weird combination of New Years Eve and Christmas as presents were exchanged, video games intensely battled, and music played. The group eagerly counted down the ball drop as they watched the recorded footage from New York before cheering.

"Make a wish," Rachael cheered. Asteria closed her eyes and wished for the only thing she could think of: more of the new peace she had found.

The days flew by after that. Asteria was almost startled when Charlie announced he was going to pick up Bella from the airport. "Want to come with me," Charlie asked her.

"No thanks Charlie. I'll let you two catch up for a bit on the ride back," Asteria said. "Besides, my packages full of stuff from Liam's house came this morning. I think I'll sort through them and put stuff away."

"Suit yourself, kiddo. Have fun," Charlie said before leaving.

Asteria dug through her boxes and picked up Cynthia's journal once again. She read it more thoroughly now, intrigued to get to the bottom of Cynthia's cryptic clues. Once more Mary's name came up in her reading. Remembering her confusion from several days ago, she flipped through the book of shadows until she found Lillian's section. Flipping forward, she realized it skipped Mary entirely. Confused, Asteria read the first passage of Cynthia's.

I've only just discovered this book, but there appears to be much to learn. I wish my mother were still here, may she rest in peace. I was too young before her death to understand. More than ever I long for Mary. Oh, how terrible to look back on the past with this new knowledge. I curse mother's death more than ever, knowing that it could have spared Mary. I am sick with the thought that father sent her away for nothing. To think, all that time she was telling the truth and we were too blind to see it!

The passage went on more, but never made it back to Mary. Confused, Asteria picked up a photo album with the year 1910 inscribed on the front. She saw a happy photo of Lillian with her husband and a baby in her arms, little Mary standing next to her while gripping her hand. Skimming forward, there weren't many pictures taken in that early time. Asteria came to a much later picture that had been folded right down the center.

Pulling it out, Asteria noticed Lillian's husband, a man named Edgar, with a different woman. Curiously Asteria flipped the photo over to read the inscription. Edgar John Brandon and his wife Anna-Marie on their wedding June 8th, 1818 with daughters Mary Alice and Cynthia Louise. Asteria shrugged and flipped the photo back over before her blood ran so cold she almost dropped it.

Staring back at her, features slightly different but unmistakably the same, was a picture of Alice Cullen holding hands with a young Cynthia. Asteria sat in shock, her mind numbly not processing anything more than how to take air in and out of her lungs, until she heard the door open downstairs.

"Asteria, we're home," Charlie called up the stairs.

Asteria had to try a couple of times before she found her voice. "Okay, be down in a second." She shoved the photo album under her covers, took a few shaky breaths, and tried to push everything to the side so she could go meet a different long lost member of her family.


	34. On the Next Episode of Dr Phil

**Chapter Thirty Four: On the Next Episode of Dr. Phil**

A/N: I'm so happy I finally got to drop the Alice bomb! It's going to be really interesting to see how they figure out they're new dynamic. It does set up some interesting twists to the original Twilight plot and I can't wait to get this train barreling off the tracks. Also a shout out to my coworker Alyssa who pulled a Nancy Drew to find this story. Please tell no one and mock me quietly. (She's on chapter four so it's gonna take her literal weeks to get here, bless her.)

I'm super excited for fall guys. I have so many good things planned. My best friend is getting married (!) on October 19th, I have a fun bachelorette trip planned for us at the end of September to go to Lake of the Ozarks, and in general it's gonna be a whirlwind of fun things. What a great season!

Littlecosma001: You know how I love cliffhangers! I never know how much to hint at something for it to be understandable but still a plot twist. My favorite clue was having them both listen to "The Mother We Share" by Chvrches in the car once. I wouldn't forget about those rumors too quickly but I am happy Asteria has moved on from where she was.

ZileRacer: I'm unapologetic for that cliffhanger. I wasn't going to end it there originally either but then the chapter kept getting longer and I just had to cut it there haha. I think it's going to be interesting when Alice learns more about her witchy side. We're definitely going a bit sideways from the original plot so it's going to be fun dealing with things like James, the Volturi, etc. As for the difference between Bella and Asteria (how Edward's power affects them), I touch on it a bit in this chapter.

Happy reading!

 **Song Inspiration: "Bad Moon Rising" - Creedence Clearwater Revival**

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx

Asteria scrambled down the stairs as gracefully as she could, still in shock over her find upstairs. "Hey Bella, nice to see you again," she said, impressed her voice sounded even and calm enough.

"Asteria," Bella said. "I don't think we've seen each other in years."

"Are you okay, kiddo," Charlie asked her. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

Asteria had to laugh at the irony. "I'm fine, Charlie. You actually just woke me up from a nap."

"It looks like the perfect weather for a nap," Bella commented. "It's about to rain."

"Rain? In Forks? Can't be," Asteria said with a sarcastic smile. "Anyway, I was about to get started on dinner. Does fettuccine sound good?"

"Sounds great to me," Charlie said with a shrug.

"Want some help," Bella asked. "I'm a pretty decent cook."

"Oh it's okay, go ahead and get settled in," Asteria said with a grin. "You're cooking tomorrow night."

The night was spent with Asteria and Bella getting to know each other once more. Asteria concluded that if they had met in class, they probably wouldn't be friends but they would be friendly. Bella lacked a distinctive rebellious streak that was essential for putting up with Asteria's nonsense. Still, that didn't mean she didn't like Bella. She could even see the two of them finding a peaceful camaraderie in the house.

Safely in her room for the night, Asteria attempted to figure out what the hell to do about the Alice situation. She was actually grateful for the distraction of Bella; it kept her from spiraling out of control. For instance, before she could get too pissed at Alice for keeping this monumental secret from her, she was able to remember a car ride ages ago where Alice told her she didn't remember her life as a human.

This of course presented an entirely new problem; Alice's entire knowledge of her past was now in Asteria's hands. Determined to know more before it came time to tell Alice, Asteria frantically flipped through every book and photo album at her disposal. Unfortunately it didn't give her very many more pieces to the puzzle.

Asteria learned that Mary, otherwise known as Alice, was far older than Cynthia, and had an uncanny ability at a young age. By the age of eight she was already predicting things with perfect accuracy, including Cynthia's gender before her birth. Her gift was strong, which worried Lillian as her husband was not an understanding man.

From what little Asteria could read of Lillian's husband Edgar, she had already decided he could crawl off and die. He had a name that went right along with twirling mustaches and tying helpless girls to train tracks, and he reminded her of a weasel in every picture in the album. It seemed he was very critical of Lillian's family and moved them all the way to Biloxi simply to get her away from her relatives.

He also firmly insisted on picking out the children's names, refusing to allow any familial name from Lillian's side to sneak in. All the same, Lillian was secretly pleased to have picked Mary's middle name 'Alice', which was the Anglicized version of Ailis, her mother.

Lillian's last few passages were very short. In one, she mentioned a feeling of dread hanging over her like a cloud in anticipation of something bad. She took extra precautions and armed herself with several spells, but worried over not knowing what exact danger would arrive. After that, Lillian just stopped. Asteria assumed she had passed soon after, as Cynthia had mentioned in her first passage.

Setting up as quietly as she could for a séance, Asteria resolved to call on Cynthia and demand answers. She called out twice in Gaelic, but was met with nothing but silence. "Oh come on," Asteria whispered angrily. "Don't tell me you're not around here somewhere! How am I supposed to tell Alice?"

Asteria even tried reaching out to Lillian, Brigid, Ailis, or any other relative she could think of. The same silence lingered on like a heavy blanket. Cursing, Asteria realized no answers would come to her tonight. After all, Cynthia had been very clear that she would only answer at the right moment. It was hard to think of a moment that was better than right then, but Asteria had to give up out of frustration.

Laying down in bed without feeling remotely sleepy, Asteria stared up at her ceiling and wondered what the hell she was going to do. Until she could talk to Cynthia she resolved to keep her distance from Alice. A bunch of half-answers just felt like too little to give her.

Asteria had apparently fallen asleep at some point after all. Not early enough judging by the headache that was slowly forming, but enough to wake up sufficiently groggy and disoriented. Groaning, she got up and did her best to half-ass her morning routine.

Bella was waiting downstairs by the time she dragged herself into the kitchen to fill a thermos with coffee. "Morning, Bella," Asteria said. "I know Charlie just got you that super awesome rust bucket out there, but do you want to ride with me today? I'll show you where to park and your classes and stuff."

"Hey, don't knock my truck," Bella said. "It has character. I'll go with you, though. Something tells me today is going to be awkward enough."

"Oh, one day in and it's already 'my truck'," Asteria asked with a raised eyebrow and a smile. "At least you like it. When Charlie got it from Billy I wasn't too sure. You also saved Jake from having to drive it, so I'm sure he's happy."

"There's nothing wrong with it," Bella said. "It runs perfectly fine."

Asteria laughed. "That's exactly what Billy said. Come on, let's go."

It was as they were pulling into the parking lot that Asteria realized exactly how stupid her plan of avoiding Alice was. Pulling into her usual spot, she realized it would raise suspicion to park anywhere else. Thankfully Bella insisted on getting there early enough to get her schedule, so the Cullens hadn't arrived yet.

Hustling Bella into the main office, Asteria tried to keep them moving at a brisk pace to keep Alice away. They were halfway to Bella's first class when the inevitable happened.

"Hey Asteria," a bright voice called out. Asteria almost leapt out of her skin as she turned to see Alice.

"Jesus Alice," Asteria said as she grabbed her chest. "I almost dropped my coffee."

"Sorry," Alice frowned. She eyed Asteria shrewdly and she tried to move on before Alice could discern her mood.

"This is my cousin, Bella. Bella, this is Alice Cullen. She's also a junior. I thought it might be nice for you to know someone in your grade today," Asteria said.

The two went back and forth in brief conversation while Asteria let her mind wander. She really needed to get better if she didn't want Alice to beat the truth out of her.

"Is that okay," Alice asked her expectantly. At seeing Asteria's clueless expression she repeated herself. "I offered to walk Bella to her first period since its closer to mine, that way you don't run late."

"Oh, yeah, sure," Asteria said. "I'll see you at lunch, Bella. You can sit with my friends today, if you want. See you in Spanish, Alice."

Asteria walked off quickly, very aware that Alice was going to ask dozens of questions in fourth period. Groaning, Asteria walked into history class and slumped into her desk.

"Is it going that badly," Emmett chuckled. "Surely she's not that awful."

It took Asteria a second to realize he was talking about Bella. "Oh, Bella's fine. I just didn't want to come back to school today."

Emmett laughed some more until the bell rang and class officially started. Asteria couldn't really tell you what happened though. She let the first three periods pass by in a blur. The only thing that stood out was her conversation with Rachael in English, simply because she talked about already making weekend plans.

Alice was already seated in Spanish when Asteria walked in, looking incredibly expectant. "Bella seems nice," Alice greeted her with.

"Yeah, I think we're going to get along okay," Asteria said.

"So what secret are you keeping," Alice asked.

"I'm sorry, what," Asteria asked as she almost choked.

"Oh come on, I know you well enough by now. You seem upset about something," Alice said. "But, you don't want to tell anyone. That makes it a secret, and probably an important one."

Asteria sighed and looked around the room, making it very obvious it wasn't a good place to talk. "Okay, there is a secret, but this isn't a good place to talk about it. Actually, I don't even have enough information on it to really tell you it. Will you at least give me a little time to figure everything out?"

She fairly well pleaded the last question to Alice, begging her to understand. Asteria knew it might not be right of her to not immediately share this information, but she really needed to understand what was going on first. Plus, she was aware it was probably going to rock Alice's whole world and wanted to make sure she had all the facts straight. More importantly, Asteria was a chicken and wasn't ready to face whatever was to come.

Alice gave her a very even look. "Okay. Let me know when you're ready." The answer was so unlike Alice, even as Asteria could see it was killing her inside to not immediately know. "Try not to take too long though. I hate waiting."

Ah, there was the Alice she knew, Asteria thought with grim humor. Spanish was a blur of workbook translations and free talk which didn't leave Asteria much free time to puzzle out her problem. She could feel anxiety forming in the pit of her stomach as she fought over the right course of action and how to break the news.

The lunch bell rang and Asteria was out of her seat in a shot, joining up with Rachael in the hall before Alice could get a chance to worm the truth out of her. Asteria caught sight of Bella in the hall ahead of her, walking with several other juniors. It looked like she was doing better than anyone thought.

"Bella," Asteria called out as she caught up to her. "How's it going so far?"

"Oh, this is your cousin," one of the shorter girls with curly brown hair said. Asteria thought her name started with a J. "You're a senior right? Don't you hang out with the Cullens or something?"

"Yeah," Asteria said flatly. She wasn't overly impressed with her so far. "So Bella, how's your day been?"

"Uh, yeah," Bella nodded. "I like my classes so far. People have been nice."

"We just asked Bella to sit with us at lunch," one of the boys in the group with impressively greasy hair said.

"Unless, you want to sit with your family, of course," a quieter girl said. That one, Asteria liked. "We totally get it."

Asteria looked at Bella to make sure she was comfortable with the group, but all Bella did was shrug awkwardly and give a small smile.

"Yeah, sure," Asteria said. "Go ahead. The lunch room is small, you can find me if you need to."

Asteria left quickly before she could get roped into more small talk. She sat down at her usual table, happy to realize it was only one over from where Bella was. Matt was somehow already fast asleep at the table and Asteria had to nudge him to wake up.

"How do you fall asleep so easy," Asteria asked with a shake of her head. Matt just grumbled and sat up to take the bag of chips she offered him. The others began to sit down around them.

"I see the baby duckling has left the nest," Damien said as he glanced at their table.

"They grow up so fast," Asteria commented dryly.

The Cullens entered the lunch room and Asteria turned to catch Bella staring after them. After looking at her new friends pointing at them, it wasn't hard to see why. One of them looked up at Asteria while talking and quickly looked away after realizing they had been caught. Still, the whole table turned to look at her and Asteria gave a sarcastic wave before returning to her food.

"Ah, juniors," Natalie said fondly. "They're just annoying enough to get on your nerves without fully contemplating murder. Stupid underclassmen."

"Uh, technically they're also considered upperclassmen," Rachael corrected her.

"Nope. If they don't have as much class as me, they're underclassmen," Natalie replied.

Asteria snorted. "So, I guess most of the school passes then, huh?"

The back and forth kept going, but Asteria felt a strange sense wash over her. Her witchy intuition kicked in all on its own and she looked around for what inspired it. Glancing between Bella's table and the Cullens', she was aware of Bella and Edward exchanging a glance.

Something within her went cold, and Asteria was vaguely aware of her anxiety from earlier. She had assumed it was about talking to Alice, but now wondered if it was something more. She wasn't sure what was going on, but she sure as hell didn't like it.

Standing up, Asteria excused herself and threw away her food before going to the bathroom. She ran cold water from the faucet and used it to dab at her face as she tried to focus on what exactly was wrong. She felt an odd cold chill across her body and her heart raced for no apparent reason. Out of answers, she just knew it was something bad.

"That's it," Asteria announced as she left the restroom and headed towards the parking lot. "I'm keying the Volvo."

Apparently vampires have excellent hearing. Edward and Alice caught up to her before Asteria had gotten more than ten steps into the parking lot.

"Don't you dare touch the Volvo," Edward threatened.

"Don't you dare touch my cousin," Asteria retorted back without really thinking the statement through.

"What are you going on about," Edward asked, thoroughly exasperated.

"I sincerely don't know," Asteria said in a matching tone.

"Can you please get answers out of her that make sense," Edward asked Alice.

"I've been trying to do that all morning," Alice quipped.

Asteria sighed. "I don't know. My intuition is just telling me that something is about to happen and I don't like it."

"So you were going to take it out on my Volvo," Edward asked with heavy skepticism and a raised brow.

"To be fair there was like an eighty percent chance I wasn't gonna do it," Asteria said. Edward gave her a withering look. "Maybe eighty five?"

"You're impossible," Edward groaned with annoyance.

"Okay, so you feel like something is going to happen," Alice asked her. "Do you know what it is? I haven't seen anything."

"No, I'm not sure," Asteria said.

"But you were thinking about vandalizing my car," Edward said.

Asteria rolled her eyes. "Barely. But also you probably deserve it. Maybe. I don't really know."

"Did you put any spells on your cousin," Alice asked her unexpectedly.

"Not that I'm aware of. Why, should I have," Asteria asked. Alice turned to look pointedly at Edward.

"I can't hear her thoughts," he admitted reluctantly. "It's not like your necklace though; every now and then I can still pick up a few things from you. You're like a radio station with really bad reception, it's mainly static and a word or two, and I can always mentally feel your mind-"

"-gross-," Asteria interrupted.

"-but with her it's like she's not even there," Edward continued with a glare, but otherwise ignored her outburst. "Does she share your ancestry?"

Asteria shook her head. "Charlie's side of the family is normal. I think. At least in the magical way. Who knows though? The way things have been going for me Bella's probably a level seventeen sorcerer."

Asteria wasn't sure if Edward got her nerd joke, but he kept going regardless. "It might be helpful to look into it. Also, would you mind telling me why you specifically told me to 'not touch' her?"

"Yeah, I really don't know," Asteria said in an offhand tone. "My intuition is giving me terrible anxiety right now, my heart feels like I just ran the Boston Marathon or took a handful of trucker pills or something. It just feels like it's related to this somehow."

"We'll get to the bottom of it," Alice told her comfortingly with a light squeeze of her shoulders. The action only made her feel guiltier about keeping her secret.

The bell rang, cutting their terrible conversation short. They went their separate ways, Asteria still feeling super anxious about the whole thing. It got so bad in Statistics that she actually left class early to go lay down in the nurse's office while claiming to have a headache. Abruptly, the anxiety left like a gust of wind after the bell for sixth period rang, leaving Asteria very confused as she went to geography.

"Is the Volvo still in one piece," Emmett asked with humor as Asteria passed him to sit down in the back.

"Ha ha," she responded sarcastically. The strange anxiety had passed, but she was still worried about whatever her intuition had been warning her of.

Walking out to the parking lot, Asteria noticed a rigid posture to Alice's figure in the distance. It was unlike her and definitely meant something to be concerned about. She noticed Emmett and Rosalie take it in too.

"What's wrong," Asteria asked them.

"We don't know yet," Rosalie responded tightly as she picked up the pace until they reached the Volvo.

Alice shot Asteria a look that was so fast she might have missed it if she weren't paying attention. "Nothing is technically wrong. There was a close call today but everything turned out fine."

Rosalie and Emmett seemed to tense up more, but it took Asteria a second. Finally she realized there must have been a near miss for someone's vegetarian diet and decided to not pry; they were upset about it enough as it was. Besides, the parking lot was hardly the area for this discussion.

Bella walked up quickly, saving them from further conversation. Asteria thought she looked a little upset, but figured there was no room to judge as everyone else in the group around her probably did too.

"It was nice meeting you today, Bella," Alice said. "See you later Asteria!"

Caught up by Alice's abrupt dismissal of her, Asteria figured Alice wanted her gone so they could deal with whatever crisis this was in private.

"Okay. Bye guys, I guess," Asteria said as she climbed into the Camaro. She had pulled out of the parking lot before Bella broke her silence.

"Asteria…do I smell bad or something," Bella asked, slightly insecure.

"Uh, what," Asteria asked her.

"I don't know, I've just had a weird day," Bella said. "It's probably nothing."

"Okay," Asteria said. She wondered whether or not she should dig into it further, but considering the amount of stress she was currently under she decided to drop it.

They pulled into the driveway shortly after. Bella immediately started on her homework, which Asteria thought was cute; she collapsed on the couch for a bit. She figured after the day she had she deserved some afternoon TV.

Bella made dinner that night and Charlie joined them around the kitchen table.

"How was school," he asked them.

"It was fine," Asteria said.

Bella nodded. "I met a lot people. The classes seem good."

"Did you get around school okay," Charlie asked. "I know Asteria said something about showing you around. One of the Cullens too?"

"Yeah," Bella said. "Alice was really nice."

"What about the other Cullens," Charlie asked. "There're a few other juniors. Did you meet any of them?"

"I met Edward," Bella said. Asteria noticed the hesitation in her voice. "He didn't seem as talkative as Alice."

"No one is as talkative as Alice," Asteria hedged. Bella nodded and left the conversation at that.

Or so Asteria thought. She had offered to help Bella with the dishes and they were in companionable silence when Bella spoke up.

"So Edward, is he normally…," Bella started.

"Antisocial? A slight bit of a jerk," Asteria suggested.

"Well…yeah. He was kind of rude to me in biology today," Bella said. "That's why I asked you if I smelled weird. I sat down and he just tensed up, like I was disgusting."

A bunch of tiny puzzle pieces linked together in Asteria's mind and she recognized everything with perfect clarity. Her anxiety, the intuition she felt about Edward and Bella, Alice saying there was a "near miss".

"Hey, are you okay," Bella asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Asteria said through gritted teeth. Making an effort to calm herself to a more rational level, she came up with a quick excuse. "I just realized I gave my phone charger to Alice to borrow and forgot to get it back. I'm gonna run over there before it gets too late."

She gave Charlie the same excuse; he told her not to take too long and waved her out the door. Asteria drove with murderous intent on the way there. She couldn't remember most of the drive in fact, which was probably a bad thing. She peeled into the driveway and parked right out front.

Alice opened the front door with a nervous expression. She could see Carlisle standing in the doorway behind her.

"Where the fuck is he," Asteria growled out.


End file.
